Women's History Month: Writers of the 19th Century

FindingDulcinea journeys through history, looking at the role of women and how they were portrayed in various cultures, including ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Western Europe and the New World.

March is Women's History Month; time to pay tribute to the contributions women have made over the centuries. The following resources illustrate how women gained suffrage in the U.S., how women’s history emerged as a field of study and the influence of heroic women the world over.

The 20th century saw more and more women taking up professional roles in Western society. FindingDulcinea looks at some of the events and key figures paving the way for women in the modern workforce. The 21st-century woman can choose a professional or domestic path—or both.

History is full of women who never got fair credit for their brilliant ideas, heroic deeds or extraordinary work, often due to prejudice, discrimination or the social mores of their time. As Women’s History Month begins, take a look at six unsung women who deserve to be more widely celebrated and praised.

Over the last four decades, blacks have become integral members of American society, offering visible and highly revered work in fields as varied as the arts, sciences and business. This year, racial integration is perhaps most visible in American politics. In the final part of our series, we examine black Cabinet members and lawmakers who grew up during the civil rights movement, illustrating that African-Americans are not just regarded as regular civilians, but also as American leaders.

As pervasive as the civil rights movement was, certain events have come to distinguish the era. In part four of a series, we examine a few pivotal moments, including the murder of Emmett Till, the Montgomery bus boycott and the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education.

Many records of the civil rights movement have endured, offering a firsthand glimpse of the era. In part three of a series, we look at individual and group expression during the civil rights movement, including music, art, literature and social organizations created at the time.

The Civil Rights Movement sought to act against years of legally enforced discrimination in the United States. In part two of a series, findingDulcinea examines the origin, emergence and influence of the so-called "Jim Crow" laws.