Notable Women In American History

A list of women who have made notable contributions to America's development.

Anne Hutchison---Created antimonism. Was banned from her colony in MA in 1630's for her views in NY.

Abigail Adams--wife of John Adams and John Quincy Adams. She was a political activist for women's rights and had political influence over her husband.

Phyllis Wheatly--former slave who wrote poetry.

Abigail Pitcher---brought water to fallen contintal soldiers.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton--first US patron saint. Parochial education founded in MA.

Elizabeth Clovis Lange---founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first black Catholic order in the US

Sojourner Truth (1797-1893) Preachaer that raised money for abolition of slavery and women's rights. Helped black Union soldiers.

Dorothea Dix 1802-1887) Nurse that advocated for improved conditions in asylums, prisons, and poorhouses.

Harriet Beecher Stowe--Wrote Uncle Tom's Cabins, an antislavery novel that enraged the north for the conditions and the south for what they called exagerations.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton--A friend of Susan B. Anthony, she fought for women's suffrage when the 14th and 15th amendment to address women's rights. She helped organize the convention at Seneca Falls in 1848. There, in NY she read her Declaration of Sentiment, which listed the discrimination of women, and adopted an 11 step resolution. This document was signed by 68 women and 32 men out of around 300.

Susan B. Anthony---A Quaker, she fought for women's suffrage. She believed that men and women were equal. Inspired nation-wide suffrage movement. Friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Lucy Stone---She was the first woman in MA to earn a college degree.  Advocated equality and abolition.

Julia Ward Howe---Wrote "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and helped form National American Women Suffrage Association.

Harriet Tubman--She helped run the Underground Railway, freeing more than 300 slaves. She also helped union soldiers in SC.

Elizabeth Blackwell---the first female doctor. She recieved her degree in Geneva in 1849. Trained women in medicine.

Mary Baker Eddy----Founded Church of Christ, Scientist.

Mary Walton---Manhattan inventor, helped reduce emissions and noise emaluation.

Louisa May Alcott---Little Women!!!!!!!!!!!

Annie Oakley---a great shot of the West.

Jane Addams---started the Hull House, she was famous for helping disadvantaged people. In 1931 she shared the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nellie Bly---often went as a undercover journalist, sided with the poor people. She exposed corruption and abuse in mental hospitals.

Emily Greene Balch---In 1947 won the Nobel Peace Prize. Founded Women's International League of Peace and Freedom. Advocated for peace in WWI and WWII.

Anne Sullivan---friend and teacher of Helen Keller.

Margaret Sanger---advocated family planning and contraception.

Jeanette Rankin---first woman ever elected in Congress. One of the few to vote no on WWI and WWII.

Frances Perkins--first woman in the US Cabinet. She was an important component of FDR's New Deal as Secretary of Labor.

Eleanor Roosevelt---US Rep to UN, wife of FDR, Democrat, fought for racial equality.

School

"“High school, it seems, has changed. It has become competitive. Young men and women — 13 to 18 years old — must work more or less tirelessly to ensure their spot at a college deemed worthy to them and their families. So rather than living their adolescent lives — lives brimming with desires and vitality, with vim, vigor, and brewing lust — these kids are working at old age homes, cramming for tests, popping Adderall just to make the literal and proverbial grade. And for what? So they can go to a school that puts them in debt for the rest of their lives. School has become a great vehicle of capitalism: it quashes the revolution implicit in adolescence while simultaneously fomenting perpetual indebtedness.”" ===Daniel Coffeen, The Scholastic Swindle: Quashing Adolescence

AHAHAHA.

I need money so bad for school right now it's not even funny. I'm going to die dude if I can't pay for school. Someone send me links to scholarships so I don't have to eat Ramen out of the plastic carton and use my water only on Mondays and Wednesday's. PLEASE.

The other day at school in the cafeteria there was some big ruckus set up with posters about a 100,000 scholarship. My interest was piqued, but I could tell immediately that it was a scam of some sort just by the people and the way it was being offered. 100,000 dollars is a lot of money, it's not something colleges just give out for free. You have to earn that kind of money. You have to earn ALL your money. And you have to do it the right way because if you don't you might just lose it all.

I was looking at the average tuition rates for Iowa and there like 8,000. It's a great school----close but not too close to home and family and friends, 2nd party school in the country, part of the Big Ten, and is definitely one of the best schools in the country. But I don't know. Something in me wants to get out of Iowa, dude. I wanna go places. I want to go somewhere warm and meet people with a different twang. I want to see the ocean or skyscrapers that go to like the 70th floor. 

I know I shouldn't complain and that fact is that I'm probably just going to Iowa. It's pretty much perfect for me and I have some money saved up for it already---half of a year of tuition, hahahahahahha//cries.  But I don't. Something inside me just wants to leave and I feel like I need to answer it just once to see if it's not just baby-bird syndrome wanting to test its wings. 

This has been a post about college. But seriously fools send me some money I'm desperate I don't want to join the workforce after high school or God forbid end up at a local community newspaper because I would just end it right then and there that is literally one of my biggest fears.

503

P&R Part Dos

I'm just going to keep talking about TV because I'm tired and TV doesn't require a lot of thought. My parents bought ice cream and I ate way too much way too fast and I have the metabolism of a fat infant. Also I have an hour until the time ends. So I'm just going to keep writing about Parks & Rec Characters because that's easy and because I love them.


I love Tom Haverford. He's ambitious, spunky, and funny. His perfume Tommy Fresh may smell like shit apparently, and some of his actions have been pretty horrible (usually to Ron--for example, shooting him in the back of a head on a hunting trip, or bringing Ron's exwife Tammy on a date to get back at ron for dating his ex-wife, Wendy), but his personality isn't the worst. He's Leslie's secretary or something, and owns part of the Snakehole Lounge. He's the show's character that keeps the series up to date with the real world, like with technology and TV. When he's not making an ass out of himself to women and to potential business partners, and just lets himself be, he's actually really funny and genuine and excitable.

I adore Donna Meagle. She's beautiful, strong, caring, and thoughtful. She doesn't take anybody's crap and she knows what she wants. She's very self-possessed, and she always brings out the best in everyone else. I hope she gets more screen time! She's also a part owner of the Snakehole Lounge with Tom. Also, she has a Mercedes, which is like the love of her life. She generally gets along with everyone, but if she doesn't like you, she'll let you know, like with the annoying dude that's friends with Tom.  We don't know much about her background yet, except that she has a brother, and that she loves Twilight and LOST, but I'm eager to find out more!

Andy Dywer is a gem. He's so stupid, but endearing and earnest and wants so hard to help and make people happy that no matter what he does you know that he's trying his hardest despite the odds (which he doesn't always understand). He used to date Ann Perkins at the beginning of the show, but he moved out after his legs healed and Ann got sick of him schmoozing. He's now a shoe-shiner at the Pawnee center and is currently dating April and working his music career, haha. One of the things that I love about Andy is that he virtually can become friends with anyone if he wants to. The only character he wasn't terribly fond about was Mark, and that was because he was dating Ann when Andy wasn't over her yet. But he manages to bring out the best in people like Donna, and he's pretty much a giant dorky, lovable puppy.

474

Parks and Rec

So besides working and playing with the new puppy, I've been watching a ton of Parks & Rec this weekend. It's super hilarious---reminds me of a mix of 30 Rock and The Office. I have to admit, I didn't like it that much at first, but now that I've started the third season, I am LOVING it. Besides it being funny, I actually really enjoy the characters and their growth. So I'm going to write 100 words about each of my four favorite characters and that will be a blog post.

Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, is kind of like the female Michael Scott in the first season--that uncomfortable, formal, high-aspiring boss that makes everyone uncomfortable. But as time goes on, she really grows into her own person, and moves away from that frame she was based off of. She's a great role model for everyone, and the show does not hide from the fact. She's kind, caring, considerate, ambitious, passionate, and good-hearted. She doesn't stop no matter what.

Before I started watching, I had seen pictures of Ron Swanson--and Infinite Drunk Ron Swanson---so I had never heard his voice. I was actually really surprised! It's so smooth and deep! Anyway, Swanson is definitely one of my more favorite characters in TV, period. He hates people, but he he's level-headed, makes good choices (unless it's in concern to his ex-wife, Tammy), and he genuinely does care about the people in his department. There's this one episode where he gives Leslie some advice on the guy she's dating, and it was really insightful and considerate----and it spoke tons about his character. Since then, he's always stuck out in my mind.

April Ludgate. She's the secretary to Ron Swanson, and as he put it---he can't fire her, because it would be literally impossible for him to find someone who does a worse job. Right now she's dating Andy, and it's really really cuteeeeeee. I like how Aubrey Plaza plays her. She manages to keep April her typical antisocial self but give her layers and feelings too---definitely not a flat character. It's little things, like when she gets flustered about talking about Andy, or when she's having a buddy moment with Ron and then barely smiles that make me like her.

Ann Perkins ahaha. Played by the lovely Rashida Jones, Ann is a local nurse and Leslie Knope's best friend. She's kind of awkward and quiet, but she sticks up for herself and takes care of people when they need her. My favorite side of Ann is seeing her as a nurse, because she does not mess around. A lot of people don't like her character---calling her flat and awkward, but I actually like her. I wish she had more story lines besides just dating, but there's something about her that feels real. 

479

Science

I'm not nearly smart or cool enough to be interested in science, but when presented with concepts that are somewhat easy to understand, my mind gets freaking blown. This post is a SCIENCE appreciation post.
#1 Dude grows lil ecosystem


"For the last 40 years it has been completely sealed from the outside world. But the indoor variety of spiderworts (or Tradescantia, to give the plant species its scientific Latin name) within has thrived, filling its globular bottle home with healthy foliage.

Yesterday Mr Latimer, 80, said: ‘It’s 6ft from a window so gets a bit of sunlight. It grows towards the light so it gets turned round every so often so it grows evenly.

‘Otherwise, it’s the definition of low-maintenance. I’ve never pruned it, it just seems to have grown to the limits of the bottle.’

The bottle garden has created its own miniature ecosystem. Despite being cut off from the outside world, because it is still absorbing light it can photosynthesise, the process by which plants convert sunlight into the energy they need to grow."


#2 What happens when you cry in motherfuggin space


#3 Cool natural patterns (from a blog dedicated to natural patterns and fractal art)






"Crystals, guys. More natural patterns.

The top image is a Lichtenberg figure, which is created by discharging an electric current into an acrylic pane, which is then decomposed, showing the pattern of current discharge.

[ That’s why it looks like lightning. Same concept, different medium. ]

It’s a dendritic pattern, showing fractal symmetry and self-similarity at all levels.

The silver crystals to the left are native silver, which grows in dendritic patterns. Similar patterns may be found in gold, copper, and other metals.

…Bismuth, to the right, is a little unique. Its crystals are still self-similar, though, and look about ten times as cool, in my opinion."
#4 Sweet ass ice caves



"Ice Caves Around the World

Ice caves come in two forms. A cave formed entirely of ice is actually called a glacier cave and as the name implies, forms in glaciers. Water runs through or under the glacier and forms a cave.

The other type of ice cave can be any cave type (limestone, lava tube, etc.) that has ice in it year round. These caves trap cold air. Water entering the cave freezes and stays frozen year round.

Glacier caves can be found in the Pacific Northwest and ice caves are found in many locations where temperatures drop below freezing. Once cold air enters the cave, it generally stays there.
Iceland
Russia
France
Antarctica
Iceland
Russia
Iceland
Iceland"

Poetry

More poems because I've made myself and I'm too lazy. Sundays are corrupt. The curtains shift quietly with the breeze. Night is long but I am longer. I don't care for anything, right now. These poems tear me apart and I don't forget them.

Bath 5---Jen Silverman
If it’s one drink, it will be two. Wisteria tangling
around your wrists. Here is where you buried your

father. Here is where you buried your brother.
Here is where they will bury you, when the

time comes. No wonder you drink yourself down
toward the earth. Home is where the shovels lie.

Earth and earth and earth. Stones crowd your sleep.
Granite and salt, sand giving birth to

the fortress where even your lovers sigh. Silent
underfoot. You dream yourself toward them.

You are foxfire, you are phosphorescent. Your
mouth like whiskey. Your eyes like whiskey.

You baptize yourself in sorrow, again and again.
You baptize yourself with bourbon and brandy.

You swim downward, fast salmon, heedless, handsome,
death is in you, it has captured your ear. You have your

father’s jaw, your brother’s chin. When you were born
they bathed your small body with their fears.

Each scar they’d earned became manifest on your skin.
Their love aches like a badly set bone. When the river takes

you, it will be no new baptism. Just that same, ancient sacrifice.
Just that rush, that rushing, and then you are gone.

Why I Believed, As A Child, that People Had Sex in Bathrooms--- Cecilia Woloch

Because they loved one another, I guessed.
Because they had seven kids and there wasn't
a door in that house that was ever locked —
except for the bathroom door, that door
with the devil’s face, two horns like flame
flaring up in the grain of the wood
(or did we only imagine that shape?)
which meant the devil could watch you pee,
the devil could see you naked.
Because that’s where people took off their clothes
and you had to undress for sex, I’d heard,
whatever sex was — lots of kissing and other stuff
I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Because at night, when I was scared, I just
climbed into my parents’ bed. Sometimes
other kids were there, too, and we slept
in a tangle of sheets and bodies, breath;
a full ashtray on the nightstand; our father’s
work clothes hung over a chair; our mother’s
damp cotton nightgown twisted around her legs.
Because when I heard babies were made from sex
and sex was something that happened in bed,
I thought: No, the babies are already there
in the bed. And more babies came.
Because the only door that was ever locked
was the bathroom door — those two inside
in the steam of his bath, her hairspray’s mist,
because sometimes I knocked and was let in.
And my father lay in the tub, his whole dark body
under water, like some beautiful statue I’d seen.
And my mother stood at the mirror, fixing her hair,
or she’d put down the lid of the toilet
and perched there, talking to him.
Because maybe this was their refuge from us —
though they never tried to keep us away.
Because my mother told me once
that every time they came home from the hospital
with a brand new baby, they laughed
and fell in love all over again
and couldn't wait to start making more.
Should this have confused me? It did not.
Because I saw how he kissed the back of her neck
and pulled her, giggling, into his lap;
how she tucked her chin and looked up at him
through her eyelashes, smiling, sly.
So I reasoned whatever sex they had, they had
in the bathroom — those steamy hours
when we heard them singing to one another
then whispering, and the door stayed locked.
Because I can still picture them, languid, there,
and beautiful and young — though I had no idea
how young they were — my mother
soaping my father’s back; her dark hair
slipping out of its pins.
Because what was sex, after that? I didn’t know
he would ever die, this god in a body, strong as god,
or that she would one day hang her head
over the bathroom sink to weep. I was a child,
only one of their children. Love was clean.
Babies came from singing. The devil was wood
and had no eyes.

On Engagements

While I may be utter shit at relationships, I was watching Eclipse the other day (shut up) and realized that I may not be as bad as what some teenagers, and indeed, some adults, hope their engagement will be like. Here's the scene, a moment that is literally the ideal of an engagement:

Besides the complete lack of chemistry, the only thing these two have discussed about getting married is whether not Bella will become a vampire, and if she does, she won't have kids. What's sad is that even the discussion of kids is actually surprising for this movie---in most romances, the happy couple almost never discuss whether or not they want kids. In epilogues of these movies, children are almost always a given. When in reality? Having children is a huge fucking choice and it's not for everyone.

Something that irks me about a lot of romance movies is that couples almost never talk about what they want, besides simply being together. That's nice and all, but you guys are going to have to work as a team. If the two love birds don't want the same things in life (one person wants six kids, the other doesn't), or if their careers or aspirations are taking them in different directions, getting married isn't going to help solve that dilemma. Actually, it probably make it worse, with one partner having to sacrifice their dreams in order to help support the other partner. Which is just a breeding ground for long term resentment and relationship instability. 

Like, why can't people in movies just talk? About what they want. What they want for themselves, or together. About communicating, about making choices together, about learning the line of where to put yourself first or your partner. You have to be 110% clear on where you want things. And while this can be hard--and frightening, or embarrassing, if you really love someone, I think, then you're willing to shove through that bull crap and treat them with the same respect you would want them to treat you with, as equals. 

Back on engagement: one of my worst fears is a surprise engagement. If someone proposed to me without talking to me about getting married first, I would probably break up with them right then and there. It's inconsiderate and rude. I don't even care if I would get painted as a cold hearted bitch or monster, I don't even care how much time or effort they put into it, I would be furious. Call me unromantic but real life is unromantic. Breaking out champagne and roses and getting engaged without discussing it first isn't a good precedent for when bills are coming in red ink and making major health decisions for our kids. Actually, screw weddings, too, because they're expensive and shitty and everybody hates each other at them, anyways.

Loving Your Body

I recently read a post by Sarah Moon called 'On being a female body at a Christian college'. In it, she discusses about how she and all others of our gender were blamed by important, leading male figures at her college for having a female body that influenced men. For example, Moon wrote about on how the husband of her Resident Director was granted a meeting with her and other young women on the topic of modesty. That it was a woman's job to be responsible to be modest, or else men will masturbate with her in her thoughts. If that wasn't disturbing, creepy, and inappropriate enough, he then blamed girls for his porn addiction.

"I talked to many women who were present in that meeting who expressed that they left feeling ashamed and dirty. I know that every time I passed that man on campus from that day on, I wanted to turn invisible. I'd tug my skirt down and pull my jacket over my chest, and I'd resist the urge to get sick to my stomach thinking about him masturbating to me, and it being my fault." ----Sarah Moon

While Moon later came into terms with her body, and eventually learned to love herself, it angers, saddens, and frightens me that she had to deal with such blame at all.

Women should not be blamed for the weaknesses of men. Our bodies are ours, and nobody should have a choice or say in how we present them or how we care for them. This is a huge part of rape culture, blaming women for literally being just women. On how our bodies are not viewed a majority of men as not really ours, as objects to blamed for their own desires.

Because fuck REALLY. That guy was a grown ass man. If he watches porn, fine. If he finds that shameful and sees it as a personal problem, then that is his own problem. HE IS IN CHARGE OF HIS OWN LIFE AND BODY AND CHOICES AND BLAMING WOMEN FOR THEIRS, FOR THE NATURE OF THEIR BODIES AND GENDER WILL NOT SOLVE ANYTHING BUT INSTEAD SHAME GOOD WOMEN AND CONTRIBUTE TO RAPE CULTURE AND LEAD TO THE VICIOUS CYCLE THAT IS SEXISM.

While I've never really struggled with my weight, my boobs have always been something of an insecurity to me. I'm 34 DD and growing up I had to share bras with my mom, who was already a cup size too small by the time I was in bras. It was inadequate and hurt my boobs, but how the hell was I supposed to know bras didn't work like that? It's not exactly something we talked about, and I didn't have any other older girl friends to go to for support. My cousin had constantly made fun of me for being smaller than her when we were growing up, and that contributed to my insecurity.

Even now, they're kind of a problem. I have back pain and I can't fit into dresses or shirts that don't have enough room for my chest. I got teased for my cleavage. But as I've gotten older, and with more experience with bras, I'm much more comfortable with my chest, and I've learned to embrace it. It's still a bitch to find cute tops, but I have hope.

Sarah Moon, I'm sorry you had to go through something so hurtful. Many, if not all, women struggle with their bodies, but not all of us can say that we've been blamed to our face for the immaturity of men who perceive US to be the problems. I'm glad you've learned love your body, and yours is a story I hope we can all draw inspiration, courage, and self-acceptance from. Thank you for sharing.