Who says that a woman can’t be as powerful and influential as a man? While in American history you will see a lot of powerful male figures, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any powerful female figures as well. There have been a lot of women in the past that helped create a better life for all Americans, and not just fighting for equality for women.
Even to this day, women do not have true equality and do face discrimination in the workplace, especially. There aren’t as many women in leadership roles as men and it is still widely known that in some industries women make less money than men, even though they are in effectively the same role. There is still certainly a long way to go to find absolute equality between genders, but these powerful women in American history did a lot to support this cause.
Some female figures are from decades and decades ago, while others are more recent and are still alive and having an impact on America to this day. Have a read on below to find out more information about the most powerful female figures in American history:
Clara Barton
She was a nurse in the American Civil War, and not only that, but she also founded the Red Cross in America. The Read Cross is still important in America to this day and it provides assistance to those who need it most, disaster relief and preparedness as well as emergency assistance.
Billie Jean King
You made have heard of Billie Jean King, or even watched her play. She was an amazing tennis player and held the #1 position, winning 39 grand slam titles. Her actions and life inspired a movie to be made, called Battle of the Sexes, in 2017. She fought hard to close the prize money gap between males and females in tennis.
Hillary Clinton
She is probably one of the most recognised female American politicians. She was the former First Lady when her husband, Bill Clinton, became President. Although she showed her true force years later when she ran for President of the United States herself. She was the first female to be selected as the primary choice; however, she ended up losing to current President Donald Trump.
Amelia Earhart
She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She was a trailblazer and a true inspiration to other girls and women alike that wanted to get into a job or do something that was typically male dominated. In 1937 she was flying around the world when she disappeared, and no one has been able to locate her.
Sally Ride
She became the first women ever to go to space. Throughout her career she had to deal with a lot of sexist remarks and comments, but she handled every situation perfectly and she was one of the astronauts on the Challenger space shuttle.
Oprah Winfrey
The true rag to riches story is what captivated the nation, and also the world. She still has a lot of influence in America and so many people turn to her for guidance. She was the first African American to reach multi-billionaire status in North America. You probably would have heard of her daytime talk show, called The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Sandra Day O’Connor
She was the first woman in American history to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. Sandra Day O’Connor served in the US Supreme Court for an extended period of time, from 1981 until 2006. Just three years after stepping down, Barack Obama (who was President at the time) awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
