Celebrating independently minded women in america

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CELEBRATING INDEPENDENTLY-MINDED WOMEN IN AMERICA

With Independence Day around the corner, we celebrate independent, free-thinking women who shaped American history. FIGHTING FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS & EDUCATION From early on, women fought for their rights – whether it was to own land, to give girls the opportunity for a good education, or for equal rights in the workplace. Here are some women who stand out in history: Margaret Brent: In 1639, Brent became the first female landowner in Maryland. A close friend of Governor Leonard Calvert, he appointed her the executor of his estate. The Provincial Court appointed Brent as Lord Baltimore’s attorney-in-fact in 1648 and, as part of her duties, she made sure soldiers were paid and fed and her actions helped to avoid mutiny in the colony. She was a significant founding settler of both Maryland and Virginia. She was also the first woman in North America to appear before a common law court.

Sarah Josepha Hale: The author of the nursery rhyme “Mary had a little lamb” was a fierce supporter of education for girls. After her husband’s death in 1822, Hale launched her writing and magazine


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