Women's History Month | Periscope

Why do we celebrate Women's History Month during the month of March?

In 1987, an act of Congress designated the month of March as Women's History Month. During the month, schools and communities celebrate the achievements of women throughout history. Although the official observation of Women's History Month is relatively recent, it owes part of its inspiration to an event called National Women's Day first celebrated in 1909.

Title:
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson | Periscope
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson | Periscope
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson challenged the traditional role of female athletes by entering the men's Negro Major League in 1953. She was the only female pitcher and only one of three women to play in the...
Jean Hoefer Toal | Periscope
Jean Hoefer Toal | Periscope
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jean Hoefer Toal was elected the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court on March 23, 2000. As Chief Justice, she presides over the highest court in South Carolina. Her court sets the rules...
Septima Clark | Periscope
Septima Clark | Periscope
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

In 1916, Septima Clark was a young African American teacher looking forward to her first teaching assignment in South Carolina. There, she learned firsthand about the poverty and inequality in...
Mary Oliphant | Periscope
Mary Oliphant | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The textbooks used today in the study of South Carolina history are influenced by the work of Mary C. Simms Oliphant. Her book The South Carolina Reader taught South Carolinians their state's history...
Sarah Grimké | Periscope
Sarah Grimké | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Abolitionist Sarah Grimké was born into a wealthy slaveholding Charleston family in 1792. After experiencing the injustices of slavery firsthand, she became a noted speaker for the antislavery...
Gloria Steinem (1934 - ) | Periscope
Gloria Steinem (1934 - ) | Periscope
Episode 9

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Writer and women's rights advocate Gloria Steinem helped found the magazine Ms., the first national women's magazine run by women. As an advocate, she organized political campaigns and rallies in...
Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) | Periscope
Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) | Periscope
Episode 8

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

In 1955, Rosa Parks sat in the "white only" section of a bus in Alabama as a way to tell the world that she was opposed to segregation. This inspired a boycott of the bus system that lasted over a...
Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937) | Periscope
Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937) | Periscope
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1931, she broke the men's and women's altitude record, flying at 18,415 feet above ground. As the first president of...
Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) | Periscope
Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) | Periscope
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

At 19 months old, Helen Keller suffered an extreme fever that made her sight and hearing impaired. She became a national spokesperson for the physically disabled by writing books, giving speeches, and...
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875 - 1955) | Periscope
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875 - 1955) | Periscope
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5

Educator Mary McLeod Bethune began a school for needy African Americans in 1904 with $1.50, five students, and a passion to teach. Her school became Bethune-Cookman College and currently has over 2...
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) | Periscope
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) | Periscope
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Despite the fact that Emily Dickinson had little of her poetry published during her lifetime, her work is considered a major influence on modern poetry. Emily's family allowed her limited access to...
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) | Periscope
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) | Periscope
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5

Born a slave, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom and became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. As a conductor, she helped over 300 slaves find their own freedom. After the Civil War, she cared...
Amelia Bloomer (1818-1894) | Periscope
Amelia Bloomer (1818-1894) | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In 1849, Amelia Bloomer became the first woman to own, operate, and edit a newspaper for women. Her paper became a voice for the women's rights movement, with articles encouraging women to participate...
Women in U.S. History | Periscope
Women in U.S. History | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Women's History Month is a great time to explore the achievements of women throughout U.S. history. Read on to learn about women who have had a significant impact on U.S. history.
National American Woman Suffrage Association | Periscope
National American Woman Suffrage Association | Periscope
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 9 10 11 12

Susan and Elizabeth formed the National Woman Suffrage Association, open to women only. Their goal was to add an amendment to the Constitution that allowed women to vote. They published newspapers and...
Petition for Women's Suffrage | Periscope
Petition for Women's Suffrage | Periscope
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 9 10 11 12

Susan was inspired by Elizabeth's work, particularly in suffrage, and became dedicated to gaining equal rights for women. Equal rights meant the right to vote, equal pay, and equal treatment for women...
Susan B. Anthony | Periscope
Susan B. Anthony | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5

Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 to a Quaker family in New England. Quakers practiced equality between men and women and did not believe in violence or slavery. Although Susan B. Anthony was not...
League of Women Voters Billboard | Periscope
League of Women Voters Billboard | Periscope
Episode 10

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 9 10 11 12

The search for women's rights does not end with the 20th century. Currently, the League of Women Voters creates and reviews political platforms with women's issues in mind. The National Organization...
Eleanor Roosevelt's Book "It's Up to the Women" | Periscope
Eleanor Roosevelt's Book "It's Up to the Women" | Periscope
Episode 9

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In 1961, Eleanor Roosevelt was asked by President John F. Kennedy to lead a group in the study of inequality towards women. Her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was president of the United States...