Too often, historical narratives overlook the contributions of women. Museums, documentaries, historical sites, and even textbooks omit essential parts of the whole because they leave out her story. Join Allison K. Lange, historian and professor, as she guides you through the fascinating lives of 12 early Americans in 12 Women Who Shaped America: 1619 to 1920 and shares their stories which are crucial to a better understanding of American history. With a deft talent for bringing history to life, Allison explores the complex and often controversial lives of these American women who shaped the United States as we know it today.
12 Women Who Shaped America: 1619 to 1920
Meet the often-overlooked women who changed the face of America—feminists, scholars, reformers, and visionaries.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sandy Titus from
EXCELLENT
The course was very informative, however, I would have liked more women to be discussed. EX: Pocohantas, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc
Date published: 2024-06-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
LeonVS from
Excellent, interesting slices of American History
Felt compelled to write a review given the apparent "issue" with Wondrium version the 'old' Great Courses. As the appreciative owner and viewer of literally hundreds of Great Courses over the years I must say that this Wondrium course belongs there with the best of them. This is an excellent adjunct to other American History courses in the Great Courses set -- and I might saw very easy and informative to take given Professor Lange's presentation style and construction of lectures. If one has any interest in American History this course is a must!
Date published: 2024-05-21
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Barbara 1 from
Great women leaders
These fine women lived exemplary lives.
These women and so many others through history would have made great leaders; if not for the fact that >man< kept their collective feet on their necks. (Thanks RBG for that).
Date published: 2023-08-21
Rated 2 out of
5
by
ThomasO from
Laborious Lectures
For such an important topic, there was not enthusiasm or excitement from the lecturer - she was just repeating facts & talking at me.
Date published: 2023-07-19
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Courses from
Quite enlightening
I am thoroughly enjoying this series and learning much I had not known (or perhaps realized) before. I have just one criticism: the lecturer clearly has done her research and presents it well, but oh dear, she has succumbed to the current and annoying young-woman's malady of vocal fry. Aside from the fact that she will ultimately damage her voice, it just grates on the ears!
Date published: 2023-01-14
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Bapi Nonna from
Poor choice of Women and Jumbled lectures
Poor choice of women. Should have had entire lecture on Harriet Beecher Stowe, for example. Did not always indicate how a woman influenced America. For example Phyllis Wheatley Peters was a fabulously interesting person. But, how did she impact America? Some lectures were jumbled, flitting from one woman to another and back. Incomplete info on some women. For example, the lecture omitted Catherine Beecher’s impact on getting kindergarten programs started.
Date published: 2022-12-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Panda441 from
Interesting course
I found this course to be very interesting and informative. I learned a lot about some historical women. Several times throughout the course, the lecturer digressed to discuss a woman other than the subject of the lecture. I think she knew enough about other historical women to make this a longer course.
Date published: 2022-10-24
Rated 4 out of
5
by
jpbon from
Knowledgeable presenter, could be a 24 lecture set
Mechanical aspects of using DVD are simple, same as other courses. Presenter is a little stiff, but is obviously knowledgeable of the subject. A complaint by another viewer indicated a slant to women's issues. Wasn't that the point? As a male, I did not find that unsuitable, given the topic. Watched it with my wife. Well done.
Date published: 2022-09-16
Overview
About
Allison K. Lange is an Associate Professor of History at Wentworth Institute of Technology. She holds a PhD in History from Brandeis University.
Allison is a historian who explores the stories that images tell about the intersection of gender and power in US history. Her book Picturing Political Power: Images in the Women’s Suffrage Movement focuses on the ways that women’s voting rights activists and their opponents used images to define gender and power. She has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Imprint. She has also provided interviews for The New York Times, TIME magazine, USA TODAY, and podcasts like And Nothing Less and American Girls Podcast.
For the Nineteenth Amendment centennial, Allison served as a historian for the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. She also curated exhibitions at the Massachusetts Historical Society and Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library as well as a website for Melinda Gates’s Pivotal Ventures called Truth Be Told: Stories of Black Women’s Fight for the Vote. Various institutions have supported her work, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Library of Congress.
Trailer
01: Phillis Wheatley Peters, Founding Poet
Before the age of eight, Phillis Wheatley Peters was kidnapped, forced to endure the Middle Passage, and sold into slavery. By the age of 21, she was a published poet, lauded by the intellectual giants of the new American Colonies. Travel back in time to colonial Boston and discover the woman whose words made her one of the very first professional Black writers in the United States.
28 min
02: Martha Washington, First Lady of the Republic
Was Martha Washington more than simply the first American First Lady? Was she more than an icon for 19th century opponents of women’s rights? Consider what we know today about her complicated life as a mother, wife, widow, partner, and architect of the preeminent female role throughout much of the history of the United States.
26 min
03: Sacagawea, Shoshone Diplomat and Guide
Who was the real Sacagawea? Was she the mythologized “Indian Princess,” guide, and helpmate to white explorers that you learned about in school? Was she something more than the stories? Meet Sacagawea of the Shoshone and explore how the stories about her life have often reflected changing American political and cultural landscapes.
27 min
04: Sojourner Truth, Crusader for Human Rights
American society in the early 1800s told women that they were not supposed to work on the lecture circuit or become political activists. Sojourner Truth did both. Learn how this undaunted, formerly enslaved woman advocated for herself and all women, using photographs to fight the limiting racist and sexist narratives of her day.
28 min
05: Catharine Beecher, Author and Educator
Catharine Beecher believed in traditional gender roles, but that did not diminish the value of women’s contributions to American life. In seeking to educate a new generation of women to fill the roles of mother, wife, and teacher, she also raised the ire of anti-slavery and women’s rights activists who wanted more for women than domesticity and compliance.
27 min
06: Victoria Woodhull, 1872 Presidential Candidate
Come face to face with the complex and outspoken Victoria Woodhull: stockbroker, editor, politician, consummate feminist, and the first female candidate to run for the US presidency. Learn about the public speaking talent that led to her being embraced by American suffragists—and the controversial free love ideology that eventually forced them to reject her.
28 min
07: Susan B. Anthony, Women’s Rights Champion
Mocked by cartoons depicting her and other suffragists as masculine and a threat to established gender norms, Susan B. Anthony fought back. Examine the photographs she used to control her public image and see how her editorial oversight of an influential book series defined the women's voting rights movement and its leadership.
28 min
08: Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad Leader
The truth about Harriet Tubman is sometimes as extraordinary as the familiar myths about her. As a child, Tubman suffered a traumatic brain injury, but she did not let that stop her from escaping slavery and creating an exceptional life. Learn about her work as a nurse, domestic worker, mapmaker, spy, Underground Railroad conductor, and even military raider, as she tirelessly fought for equity and justice.
28 min
09: Isabella Stewart Gardner, Art Museum Pioneer
Born into an age when women across New England were blazing trails in both politics and art, Isabella Stewart Gardner dreamed of opening her own museum. Reveal how heartbreak over a child’s death provided the impetus to travel and finally manifest her dream of a museum that we still enjoy today.
27 min
10: Frances Benjamin Johnston, Photographer
Explore the extraordinary life of one of America’s first female professional photographers. From her earliest days in portraiture for the elite of Washington, DC, to her later years as a documentary, architecture, and landscape photographer, Frances Benjamin Johnston’s vision and talent paved the way for generations of female artists and photographers.
26 min
11: Alice Paul, National Woman’s Party Leader
Dive into the life and work of the unusual Alice Paul, who was considered a radical by other American suffragist leaders. Well-educated for a woman in any era, Paul was exceptional in early 20th century America. Hear about her controversial protests, her historic leadership, and the fight for the 19th Amendment.
34 min
12: Mary Church Terrell: Suffrage to Civil Rights
As the first president of the National Association of Colored Women, Mary Church Terrell understood the critical importance of public image. Find out more about her long life, from her birth into slavery in Tennessee to her education at Oberlin College, and her eventual fights to secure rights and freedoms for all people through politics, protests, and the law.
32 min
