How did women serve in uniform during World War I? Tory Altman joins Curator Margaret Vining of the National Museum of American History Museum's Division of Armed Forces History to talk about women's service in the conflict, and how their contributions helped the cause of the woman suffrage movement.
Public Service
Women have always worked to strengthen their communities and this nation. Whether through government and military service or volunteer clubs and civic organizations; women have found a way to serve.
Collection Objects
Conversation Kit
Grades 6-12. Time: Variable (1-3 class periods). Aligned to C3 standards.
In this lesson students will learn about the Woman's Land Army of America during World War II and how this group of dedicated women fueled the United States's massive war effort. Students will examine the question: How can communities shape the direction of history?
Videos
Women of the United States Senate reflect on the impact of the Nineteenth Amendment and the role of women in politics.
The first Hispanic Justice on the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor was interviewed by Jan Smith, for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
Before the right to vote came to all women, social groups like garden clubs were one of the few ways women could band together and influence the political world. Learn about how garden clubs could be more than just a social club for plant lovers one hundred years ago.
Johnnetta B. Cole highlights the contributions to society and the influential fashion styles of two prominent community and civil rights leaders, Dorothy Height and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.
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.
When the U.S. Airforce faced a pilot shortage in WWII, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were the first women to fly American military aircraft.

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