Did you know that there were thousands of women’s clubs founded during the Progressive Era? Read more about the amazing women who worked to reform the nation in Reforming Their World: Women in the Progessive Era.

On October 29th, Senator Susan Collins introduced S. 2129, the National Women’s History Museum Act. There are 19 original cosponsors of the bill including Senators Barbara Boxer, Maria Cantwell, Dianne Feinstein, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kay Hagan, Amy Klobuchar, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Mikulski, Lisa Murkowski, Patty Murray, Jeanne Shaheen, Olympia Snowe and Debbie Stabenow, as well as Joe Lieberman, Chuck Grassley, Mark Pryor, and George Voinovich. It is identical language to the bill that recently passed the House.

In introducing the bill, Senator Collins stated, “This museum would help ensure that future generations understand what we owe to the many generations of American women who have helped build, sustain, and advance our society. They deserve a building to present the stories of pioneering women like abolitionist Harriet Tubman, founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and astronaut Sally Ride.”

The bill will be referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works chaired by Senator Boxer. We’re told the Committee could take up the bill before year’s end.

Washington, D.C. - The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is pleased to announce that today the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1700, also known as The National Women’s History Museum Act of 2009.

This legislation is the first critical step, to be followed by action in the U.S. Senate, that will allow NWHM to purchase federal land at 12th and Independence upon which to build a World Class National Women’s History Museum.

“For the first time in our Nation’s history, it appears Women will finally have a front row seat on our National Mall!” said Joan Bradley Wages, President & CEO of NWHM.

“We want to especially thank Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY 14) for her leadership as our chief sponsor in initiating and guiding this bill through Congress,” Ms. Wages continued.

“There are museums for stamps and spies, for news and for poetry–but today’s action by the House means women are on our way toward a ‘museum of our own’. What women have contributed to the building of our country is a story long overdue for the telling,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

The mission of NWHM is to gather and chronicle the amazing history, heretofore untold and/or under represented in our Nation’s Capital, of women’s role in helping build our Nation and our society. The Museum’s organizers promise all Americans will be surprised and delighted at what NWHM can and will teach them and future generations about the accomplishments and stories of women who, individually and collectively, have woven our nation’s fabric. “Prepare to be amazed…” Ms. Wages added.

For Immediate Release - September 24, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today hailed committee passage of her bill, H.R. 1700, which establishes a National Women’s History Museum on the Mall in Washington, DC to honor the role that women have played in American History. It passed the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure by a voice vote.

“Less than five percent of the 2,400 national historic landmarks chronicle women’s achievement and of the 211 statues here in the U.S. Capitol, only ten are of female leaders,” Rep. Maloney said. “The museums and memorials in Washington are one measure of what our society values. We already have museums for stamps and spies. This bill would provide women, comprising 53% of our population, a long overdue home to honor their many contributions to building our country.”

“From Susan B. Anthony to Oprah Winfrey, from Hattie Caraway–the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate–to Julie Taymor–the first woman to win a Tony Award for Directing–the story of what women have contributed to the American way of life is a story long overdue for the telling,” she continued. “This museum will do just that, and I’m grateful for the leadership of Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica in moving H.R. 1700 through the Committee, and for the extraordinary support of District Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton. Now, it’s on to the House floor!”

“Women are indispensable to the functioning of society, but absent from the Mall and other prominent monument sites in Washington. We are overdue in giving women their due,” Rep. Norton said. Norton also said she is particularly proud of the women who have raised funds and have persisted with the effort to build a museum for women in the nation’s capital. Norton has been a strong proponent of the museum, not only because of its importance to women, but also because of its significant potential to bring to D.C., a major tourist town, new visitors and to encourage others to stay longer.

“Women will finally have a front row seat on the National Mall. We are very appreciative of Representative Maloney’s leadership on this. She’s really been our champion and Chairwoman Norton, whose efforts moved the bill, has been extremely supportive,” said Joan Wages, President & CEO of the National Women’s History Museum.

The bill directs the General Services Administration (GSA) to sell its old Cotton Annex property on the Mall at 12th and Independence to the museum at fair-market rates. The museum would be built and maintained with private funds.

Senator Susan Collins (ME) is working on introducing the companion bill in the Senate.

The National Women’s History Museum, founded in 1996, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the diverse historic contributions of women, and integrating this rich heritage fully into our nation’s history. Until legislation passes in Congress designating a site for a permanent museum in Washington, D.C., the NWHM promotes women’s history through its permanent and temporary exhibits, special events, CyberMuseum, and online educational materials (www.nwhm.org).

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Seeing the wonderful new movie “Julie and Julia” about Julia Child, the famous cookbook author, and Julie Powell, blogger and author, and afterwards a preview of the upcoming movie “Amelia” about Amelia Earhart I began thinking about the biographical movies of women in history (and/or women’s history itself). My favorite women’s history movie is “Iron Jawed Angels” about the awful treatment meted on suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who led the final fight for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Further I invite NWHM blog invite readers to add to this list. I’ll bet the list is longer than expected but far, far too short for the importance of women in history and reflective of the gender ratio of the movie going population.

And what was the affect of such movie or movies on your growing up and your life? One I personally remember affecting me was “Sister Kenny” (played by Rosalind Russell). Kenny discovered an effective treatment for polio, but couldn’t get official recognition or sanction for her techniques and theories for decades. That movie stuck with me for a very long time, as it demonstrated to me — quite young when I saw it — that women could achieve important milestones and make major contributions to the world. It also demonstrated the need for personal conviction and perseverance – 2 major factors in shaping me and my interests in women’s History.

BTW: Julie & Julia is excellent (w/ Meryl Streep (as Julia Child). Two women’s history bio pics in 2 months! I look forward to seeing many more.

Judith Kaplan
NWHM Board Member

Prudence Crandall was born today on September 3, 1803.

Prudence Crandall was a remarkable woman who opened one of the first schools for African American girls, despite the ridicule and harassment she faced because of her actions.

In October of 1831, Crandall opened a private girl’s academy in Canterbury, Connecticut. She taught the daughters of many of the town’s wealthy families, and the school was ranked as one of the best in the state. Her curriculum was rigorous, as she taught her female students much of the same material being taught at prominent schools for boys.

In 1833, Crandall decided to admit an African American student named Sarah Harris, who wanted more education in order to become a teacher for African American children. The white students’ parents were outraged and demanded that Sarah Harris be expelled. Crandall, however, opposed slavery and believed in educating African Americans. She refused to expel the young student and decided instead to open a new school for African American girls.

To read more about her, please click here.

Senator Barbara Mikulski often refers to the male senators who support women’s issues as “galahads.” Edward Kennedy has been among those senators. He has was a champion for women and families, a strong advocate for Title IX granting women greater participation in college sports; and more recently a leader in passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that ensures equal pay for equal work.

Kennedy said in a speech: “We all live on in the future we make.” He will indeed live on through his many good works for women.

We extend our sympathies to his family and friends and honor this champion for women on Women’s Equality Day.

Also in honor of Women’s Equality Day, President Obama issued a proclamation, which is available here.

On August 20, 1904, sociologist Rose Hum Lee was born. In 1955, Dr. Lee became the first Chinese American woman to chair an American university department. Read more about her in Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance.

August – the month of Equality Day:

Someday Equality Day greeting cards will be sent, and standard printed calendars will note the date.

August 26th: the day to reflect on the challenges and achievements of the past struggles for women’s rights – the day to celebrate the progress made in gaining women’s rights…also how much more has to be done.

When the National Women’s History Museum is a central showpiece in our nation’s capital it will be the focus for further reflection and advancements and speed understanding and further progress.

Go NWHM Go!

–By NWHM Board Member Judy Kaplan

Recently in the news was the strong criticism by two experts on the Texas Board of Education to review Texas social studies curriculum standards…

In the criticism expressed by two of these consultants, they specifically mentioned Anne Hutchinson as overrated. Peter Marshall, an evangelical minister who also advocated for stronger emphasis on the role of Christianity in U.S. history, dismissed Hutchinson, saying “She was certainly not a significant colonial leader, and didn’t accomplish anything except getting herself exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for making trouble.”

It’s exactly because she made trouble that she became an important figure in that early Massachusetts colony. The division of that colony over ideas that she was key in promoting nearly caused a schism in that colony — a religious schism, as well as a political one. Her story highlights a problem that the early colonists had in navigating between establishing a land of religious freedom for a group, and allowing that freedom for individuals who disagreed with that group. Without her story, the presentation of that early history…will be significantly skewed.

Rev. Marshall’s words remind me of those read by Governor Winthrop at her trial: “Mrs. Hutchinson, the sentence of the court you hear is that you are banished from out of our jurisdiction as being a woman not fit for our society.” I hope that the majority of the board making curriculum decisions in Texas does not decide to represent only one side in what Gov. Winthrop saw as a turning point in colonial history!

I suppose we should be glad that these consultants didn’t dismiss Rosa Parks as a woman who was arrested for making trouble, or Harriet Tubman for making trouble by challenging the then-current law of the land! History is often about people making trouble.

–Reprinted from an article by Jone Johnson Lewis on About.com