Researchers

Woman sitting in a library looks at her laptop screen.

Find scholarship and tools to access women’s history resources online.

Information and Tools

Smithsonian American Women book cover with objects from across the Smithsonian

Publications

Smithsonian American Women: Remarkable Objects of Strength, Ingenuity, and Vision from the National Collection is available as a a hard bound book for your home library.

Resource Collections

Two women dance in sync at a DJ booth.
Rebel Girls: D.C. Women Making Music
Using music to create performance spaces for women and build a more equitable society. Articles, audio, and photos. (10+ minutes)

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Digital painting of Ethel Earley Clark smiling as she adds a flower into an overflowing arrangement.
Women’s History in Gardening
How women of have shaped American gardens. Videos, articles, timeline. Grades 8 and up. (2+ minutes)

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Headshot of Sister Helen Sullivan
Women Mathematicians

Objects that illustrate the lives of several women mathematicians. Articles and photos. (30+ minutes)

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Programs and Lectures

Margaret Gould Stewart and Jean Richards sit on stage and hold microphones.
Eva Zeisel: Life and Design Stories Spanning a Century
The remarkable life and legacy of ceramicist Eva Zeisel. Video. (1 hour)

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Four women on a Zoom call: Dr. Karen L. Ishizuka, Nobuko Miyamoto, Tomie Arai, and Kai Naima Williams.
Story Circle: The Art of Movement and Coalition Building
A discussion on the inspiring force of activist Yuri Kochiyama. Video. (1 hour)

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Scientist Oris Sanjur using a centrifuge.
American Women of Science: Recovering History, Defining the Future
A filmed virtual symposium to inspire and educate scientists, and support a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future. Video series. (2+ Hours)

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Black and white photos of a six women at their jobs, with the event title and sponsor logos
Women at Work
A discussion of the history of working women and the future for women in STEM careers. Video. (90 minutes)

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Martha Redbone sings into a microphone and plays a colorful handheld drum.
Martha Redbone: “Drums”
Martha Redbone, Toshi Reagon, BIGLovely, and the Bernice Johnson Reagon Songbook singers perform “Drums.” Video. (9 minutes)

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Artist Zina Saro-Wiwa leans against a white wall.
Viewfinder: Women’s Film and Video from the Smithsonian
Conversations between notable video artists/filmmakers and Smithsonian curators. Videos. (1+ hour)

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Over a Zoom call, Charlotte Ickes laughs as Maren Hassinger twists material in her hands.
Artist Maren Hassinger with Curator Charlotte Ickes
A discussion with the Artist and Portrait Gallery Curator of Time-Based Media Art and Special Projects. Video. (1 hour)

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Keep It Going

Follow women’s history at the Smithsonian by attending our events or subscribing to our newsletter!

A painting of clouds moving across a blue-gray sky and the roofs of two buildings with chimneys.
Becoming Visible Bibliography
stars against a blue background
Community Story Explorer

We asked people which women in history, in their communities, or in their families inspire them. Explore a selection of the hundreds of stories we received with this interactive tool that showcases the profound impact women's lives can have and the vast diversity of their experiences. 

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Becoming Visible
Bringing American Women’s History into Focus

Women's stories have been in a constant state of becoming visible, never quite coming into focus in American history. Even though historians have long documented the lives and work of women, their contributions have vanished from most popular narratives of U.S. history. Explore how five women’s stories have been recorded and remembered, and join our effort to expand the story of America.

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