There have been so many female figures throughout history who have helped shape the world around us. They’ve contributed to every aspect of life. Business, entertainment, science, technology, sports, arts — you name it.
Their stories are full of examples of hardship, ambition, and bravery. Their amazing achievements have made a massive impact on society and culture as a whole.
Here are five influential women in U.S. history in this blog post who challenged the accepted norms and made a lasting impression. They made this impression not only on Americans but on people from across the whole world.
American Women Who Changed the World
- Clara Barton (1821 – 1912)
Clara Barton’s full name is Clarissa Harlowe Barton. She was born in 1821 in Massachusetts. This was a time when women were marginalized, and Clara experienced it firsthand. This, however, didn’t prevent her from chasing her dreams.
She became a teacher at a young age and received the teacher’s certificate in 1839. At that time she was just 17 years old. Clara then went on to open the first free school in New Jersey, which soon became popular.
But at the time, it was thought that women were unfit to hold prominent roles. So, as the school became popular, Clara was replaced by a male principal. This was a major setback for her, but she wouldn’t let it stifle her love for community service.
For instance, she traveled with the army in war zones during the American Civil War to distribute supplies. She also nursed injured soldiers.
But Clara’s most notable work involved the American Red Cross. She helped set it up in 1881.
- Amelia Earhart (1897 – 1937)
Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1897. She was way ahead of her time. She was fearless and adventurous. This helped her later on when she went on to become a pioneer in aviation.
Amelia’s love for flying started in 1920 when she first traveled in an airplane at the age of 23. This prompted her to take up flying lessons and buy her first plane a year later.
But her big break came when she got to be the first female passenger to fly across the Atlantic in 1928. She even crossed the Atlantic Ocean all by herself nonstop and became the first female pilot to do so. Earhart completed this mission in record time despite mechanical issues and troublesome weather.
She carried on her adventures in the skies, which inspired women all over the world. Unfortunately, the heroic woman was declared dead in 1937 when she suddenly disappeared near Howland Island.
- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962)
If you know Franklin D. Roosevelt, then you also probably know Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, his wife and a former American first lady. But she wasn’t just a wife. She made an impact on politics, society, and culture.
Eleanor was born to a wealthy family in New York. But she started experiencing life’s challenges at a young age when she lost her parents when she was just eight years old.
Even though she had a privileged background, she became invested in community service. Her entry into politics was likely a result of this.
Eleanor’s involvement in American politics quickly made her an influential (and often controversial) figure. The work she did to defend women’s equal rights and ethnic minorities, in particular, brought inspiration and courage to many people in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Eleanor always fought for the rights of the disadvantaged through various personal activities and political appointments as one of the most admired women in American history.
- Grace Hopper (1906-1992)
Grace Brewster Hopper was a mathematician, computer scientist, and a rear admiral of the U.S. Navy. She was also one of the most brilliant minds in American history.
Grace earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale and then joined the Navy in 1943. Being a pioneer in computer science, her accomplishments as a female scientist during a time when the field was still at an early stage are truly amazing.
Some of her most highly praised achievements are the development of the FLOW-MATIC and COBOL programming languages.
The U.S. Navy even named the guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper after her. The Nvidia GPU architecture “Hopper” and NERSC’s Cray XE6 “Hopper” supercomputer were also named in her honor.
Grace Hopper received 40 honorary degrees and many other global awards. Today, she remains a role model for many young girls aspiring to push boundaries in science and technology.
- Anna May Wong (1905-1961)
Anna was born in Los Angeles as Wong Liu Tsong to a second-generation Chinese American family. At the time, racial discrimination was pretty widespread, and Anna felt it, too, just like any other person from ethnic minorities.
But her love for the cinema wouldn’t let her give up the dream of becoming an actor, a goal she set for herself when she was just 11.
Anna made her movie debut in The Red Lantern (1919) as an extra. For years, however, she faced discrimination in the movie industry because of her ethnic background and was mostly limited to supporting roles.
But it didn’t prevent her from gaining media praise and becoming a celebrated movie star through her acting in The Toll of the Sea (1922), Daughter of the Dragon (1931), and the like.
Anna is noted as the first Chinese American actress in Hollywood and the first Chinese American star to win international recognition.