Women

1800's

Name: Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe
Born: June 14, 1811
Died: July 1, 1896

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American author who wrote the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Written in 1851, it talked about the life of African Americans during slavery and the many hardships they faced. The novel showed the impact of slavery, particularly on families and children, and this alone captured the nation's attention. She was one of the most gifted authors of her time yet she also wrote various children's text books, advice books on homemaking, biographies and religious studies. Although having an informal spin to them, many of her novels permitted her to reach audiences that more scholarly or argumentative works would not. This encouraged everyday people to address such controversial topics including slavery, religious reform, and amongst others.

Name: Harriet Tubman
Born: Sometime during 1819
Died: March 10, 1913


Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland. In 1849, Tubman left her husband in order to escape to Philadelphia and be free.With help from various people, Tubman escaped through the Underground Railroad, a series of underground passages to help lead African American slaves to freedom in the North. After her freedom, Tubman became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad in which she led more than 300 slaves to freedom. Thanks to her daring acts, the lives of many were spared and this got many others to join in the drive to free slaves from the South.




1900's

Name: Rosa Parks
Born: February 4, 1913
Died: October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks, born Rosa Louise McCauley was an African American who worked for the NAACP for a numerous amounts of years alongside her husband Raymond Parks. While working for them, she advocated for the rights of blacks and for freedom. One day, in a stunt set up by the NAACP, Rosa sat in the front of the bus in the "whites only" section and wouldn't get up to sit in the back when told to do so by the bus driver. This resulted in her arrest which led to tremendous amounts of coverage and dispute. She has been called, "the first lady of civil rights" which is a fitting title as she had done so much for her beliefs and people. From this action, Parks sparked up the modern civil rights movement which led to protests and eventually the freedom and rights of her people.



Name: Marilyn Monroe
Born: June 1, 1926
Died:  August 5, 1962

Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson was an American actress, singer and model who was at times, the face of the nation while she performed. She had her first television showing when she was 20 and signed a contract with Fox to kick start her career. Over the years, Monroe completed 30 motion pictures which led to her becoming an American icon and worldwide sensation before her mysterious death. No one knows for a fact what caused her death but in 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth-greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. She was the face for women actresses and left a large impact on the film world of her time.