VA250: Women’s History Month Edition

This Women’s History Month, in conjunction with our nation’s 250th celebration, we are proud to shine the spotlight on the lives and contributions of colonial/Revolutionary-era women. From Pocahontas and Sybil Ludington, to Phillis Wheatley and Nancy Ward, learn more about known and lesser-known female trailblazers highlighted in our collection.  

In addition to our collection, be sure to check out our online calendar for upcoming programs related to the American Revolution and our country’s history.

• America's Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today by Pamela Susan Nadell - The first few chapters in this thoroughly researched and compelling book describe an early American Jewish community that was more diverse than you might imagine. Learn how the Jewish women of colonial times contributed to the making of the nation as well as the modern Jewish community. Author Pamela Susan Nadell is a Professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History at American University.

• American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans by Eve LaPlante (also available on Hoopla) - After her banishment from the Massachusetts Bay colony, Anne Hutchinson founded Rhode Island and championed issues of social reform and leveraged her power for change. Her beliefs about the role of the individual in faith and religion differed from many of the men in power at the time. A fascinating read on one of the most famous female dissenters in history.

• Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts (also available on Hoopla) - How much did the wives and sisters of the Founding Fathers influence early American politics? Journalist Cokie Roberts reveals their lesser-known machinations and behind-closed-doors persuasions, along with eyebrow-raising gossip from the women themselves via letters and diaries. 

• Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution by Melissa Lukeman Bohrer - From writers and poets to political advisors and spies, women played vast and varied roles during the American Revolution. If you want to learn more about heroes like Nancy Ward, the young widow who became leader of the Cherokee tribe, or Sybil Ludington, who rode twice as long as Paul Revere to warn her hometown of incoming attack, this book is a fantastic choice. 

• The Jamestown Brides: The Story of England's "Maids for Virginia" by Jennifer Potter - How far would you venture to find a life partner? This book traces the stories of fifty-six young women who traveled to the colony of Jamestown to be married off to Virginia settlers. Since these middle-class women could likely read but not write, author Jennifer Potter uses creative sources such as English ballads, sermons, court records, and the letters of others to create a picture of what their lives might have been like, from the treacherous sea voyage to the shock of their new surroundings upon arrival.

• Journeys in New Worlds: Early American Women's Narratives by William L. Andrew - This book contains four first-person narratives written by European-American women in the early days of settlement in the Americas. These narratives reveal a world where women, while expected to marry, exercised surprising levels of autonomy and often traveled long, difficult journeys on their own. The narratives also provide snapshots of how economic and religious forces shaped their lives. Author William L. Andrew is a Professor Emeritus of English at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

• The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence by David Waldstreicher - This powerful biography of prodigy poet Phillis Wheatley features both historical facts about her extraordinary life and literary analysis of her work. The author centers scholarship on how subversive and critical her poetry was within contemporary discourse, analyzing both its political and humanitarian themes. This book provides a deeper understanding of Wheatley as both a wordsmith and person. Author David Waldstreicher is a distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

• Pocahontas: Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat by Dr. Paula Gunn Allen - Written by groundbreaking Native American literary scholar Dr. Paula Gunn Allen, this biography reflects the role Pocahontas held within the community she was raised and explores various facets of her identity. Allen’s traditional storytelling elements and wide-ranging research make for a compelling study of the well-known historical figure.

• Poor Richard's Women: Deborah Read Franklin and the Other Women Behind the Founding Father by Nancy Rubin Stuart - Much has been written about Benjamin Franklin, but how much do you know about the women who most greatly impacted him? In this book, author and journalist Nancy Rubin Stuart writes about Franklin’s common-law wife of 44 years, Deborah Read Franklin, as well as his landlady, friends, and mistresses, all of whom had influence on his life.

• Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence by Carol Berkin (also available on Hoopla) – While many women could not impact legislation directly, they still played a large role during the revolution. They boycotted British goods, traveled with the army to serve as nurses and cooks, some even donned men’s clothing and fought on the battlefield. Many women played less thrilling, but nevertheless crucial, roles in maintaining farms and households. No matter their station in life, women were vital to the cause of the American Revolution. Author Carol Berkin is a Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

• The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History: From the Sacred History of the Mattaponi Reservation People by Dr. Linwood Custalow - Passed down through multiple generations of the Mattaponi and preserved from the memories of chosen guardians, Dr. Linwood Custalow puts to paper the oral history of Pocahontas. He intentionally records the exact words and sentences of the tribe’s oral historian in hopes of conveying the rhythm and power of their speech.