Health & Wellness

Before the modern medical age, women within many communities served as midwives. In the late 19th century, the rise of formal medical training sparked a change: doctors encouraged women to give birth at hospitals, rather than at home. In the 20th century, medical authority was largely assumed by men until the 1960s when Title IX mandated that all federally funded school programs accept women.

Read the Story Behind this Object

 

Americans talk about girls' bodies a lot. They have for more than a century. Why? Because girls' bodies are often treated like community property. This video examines how body talk—everything from advice to advertising—has often, but not always, determines what it means to be a girl and steers girls toward certain ideas of womanhood. Learn more in the Girlhood (It's complicated) online exhibition.

Collection Objects

Learn the stories behind these objects or see more health and wellness objects from our collections.

  • Mary Walker wears the sort of unrestricted clothing she believed was most healthy - a dress with a flared skirt over top of pants.
    Freethinking Dr. Mary Walker
  • Tantaquidgeon and Nanticoke leaders stand on the steps of the Delaware State Capitol.
    Preserving Native American Traditions and Beliefs
  • Oil painting of Henrietta Lacks by Kadir Nelson. Lacks, smiling, is depicted standing in the center of the image. She is facing forward with her hands clasped in front of her body, holding a black book with gold-colored text [HOLY BIBLE].
    The Controversial, Lifesaving Legacy of Henrietta Lacks
  • Metal pruning shears with a red plastic grip.
    Michelle Obama Taught Good Nutrition with the White House Garden
  • Three monthly cycles of 20 pills (60 pills total) are contained in Ortho’s trademarked DialPak dispenser. The center wheel of the DialPak reveals the day of the week and aligns with a pill on the outer ring.
    The Pill Was a Game Changer
  • Green book cover and white text reading "SILENT SPRING."
    Rachel Carson's Research and Writings Rallied the Nation around Environmentalism

Conversation Kit

  • Let's Talk! African American Women Medical Professionals

    PDF icon African American Women Medical Professionals Teaching and Discussion Guide

    Grades 6–12. Time: Variable (1–2 class periods). Aligned to C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards.

    In this lesson students will investigate and discover the importance of African American medical professionals to the African American community. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe how the participation of African American women as midwives, nurses, and physicians has changed over time.

Videos

  • This video highlights the influence of Regina Lee's upbringing as an Asian American Immigrant and how growing up in Chinatown, NY, during the 50s, 60s, and 70s shaped her philanthropy.

  • Justice Sonia Sotomayor was interviewed by Jan Smith, for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Sotamayor discusses how managing type 1 diabetes as a child taught her discipline and creativity.

Smithsonian American Women book cover.

Smithsonian American Women

Remarkable objects and stories of strength, ingenuity, and vision from the National Collection.

Smithsonian American Women book cover.
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