Notable American Women

Notable American Women is a biographical dictionary documenting the lives and achievements of significant women throughout American history. The multi-volume reference work covers individuals from colonial times through the mid-20th century. The entries follow a standard format, providing birth and death dates, family background, education, career accomplishments, and historical impact for each subject. Primary source materials and extensive bibliographical references support the biographical accounts. The work includes women from diverse fields including politics, science, arts, education, social reform, and business. Coverage extends beyond widely recognized historical figures to feature lesser-known women who made important contributions to American society. This comprehensive collection examines the expanding roles of women in American life while highlighting patterns of both progress and limitation across different time periods and social contexts. The thorough documentation establishes a foundation for understanding women's evolving place in American history and culture.

Readers value this biographical dictionary as a research tool, particularly for information about lesser-known American women from the colonial period through 1950. Many note its comprehensive citations and bibliographies. Likes: - Detailed entries on women who don't appear in other reference works - Clear documentation of sources - Coverage of women from diverse backgrounds and professions - Concise but informative biographical sketches Dislikes: - Dated coverage (stops at 1950) - Some entries lack personal details beyond career accomplishments - Print format makes updates impossible - High price point for personal use Ratings: Goodreads: 4.4/5 (7 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (3 reviews) Notable comment from a librarian on Amazon: "An indispensable reference for researching American women's history pre-1950. Each entry provides solid factual information with excellent bibliographic citations."

Women of Achievement in American History by Jack Rummel This biographical compendium documents American women who shaped politics, science, arts, and social movements from colonial times through the 20th century.

America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins The text chronicles the contributions and experiences of American women from 1587 to the present through personal stories, letters, and historical records.

The Book of Women's Achievements by Joan Solomon and Diana Craig The encyclopedia-style volume presents biographical entries of women who influenced world history across fields including medicine, literature, science, and leadership.

Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts The biographical collection examines the lives of early American women who influenced the formation of the United States through letters, journals, and historical documents.

She Changed the World: 100 Biographical Profiles by Ruth Ashby The reference work presents profiles of women throughout history who made contributions to science, politics, arts, civil rights, and social reform.

📚 Notable American Women was a groundbreaking biographical project that took over 7 years to complete, with contributions from more than 700 scholars. 🎓 The book series originated at Radcliffe College and was first published in 1971 by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 👥 The collection includes biographies of over 1,359 women who died between 1607 and 1950, marking one of the first comprehensive attempts to document influential American women's lives. ✍️ Editor Janet Wilson James spent much of her career advocating for women's history to be included in mainstream historical scholarship, using this project as a catalyst for change. 📖 The success of the original volumes led to multiple supplements being published, including "The Modern Period" (1980) and "The A-Z of Colonial America" (1980), expanding the collection to cover additional time periods and demographics.