Abigail Adams was the first woman to serve as Second Lady of United States and the second woman to serve as First Lady. She was also the mother of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams. In her most famous letter, she pleaded that the Founding Fathers “remember the ladies.” Adding, “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.”
Nationally, American contralto Marian Anderson broke barriers. Her first record featured spirituals “DeepRiver” and “My Way’s Cloudy.” She was the first African American to perform with the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Despite, she was still subject to racial bias.
Indira Gandhi was India’s third prime minister and the first woman to lead the nation’s millions from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. India’s Green Revolution was one of the important pieces of her term in office.
Madeleine Albright was the 64th U.S Secretary of State, the first time in American history a woman would head the State Department. The journey to her confirmation spanned two continents and 20 years of government service.
Florence Kelley, the first woman factory inspector in the United States, was born September 12, 1859 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to William Kelley and Caroline Bonsall. She led the struggle for the passage for labor and social legislation, including eight and ten-hour day and minimum wage legislation for women as part of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards.
