Breaking Barriers: On the Ground and in the Sky: The Story of Amelia Earhart

Breaking Barriers: On the Ground and in the Sky The Story of Amelia Earhart

Zofia Poczatek Junior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 2472 words

1 Introduction “One of my favourite phobias, is that girls, especially those whose tastes aren’t routine, often don’t get a fair break. The situation is not new. It has come down through the generations, an inheritance of age-old customs, which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity.” 1 These words by Amelia Earhart were published in a collection of diary entries and notes posthumously entitled “Last Flight”. She defied the above mentioned customs her whole life. Amelia Earhart was an American aviator who set many flying records as a ground-breaking female pilot. By doing so, she helped to redefine the roles of women which at the time, contrasted greatly from those of men. Her courage and determination allowed her to break down gender barriers and become an inspiration and a role model for generations of women to come.

Exploring Time and Place The attitudes about the roles and rights of women began slowly changing during the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There were some events which serve as milestones in that change, and they are the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the occurrences of the First World War. During the war, many women were recruited into jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight. New jobs were also established as part of the war effort, for example, in war equipment factories.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement gained a huge victory in 1920 when Congress gave women the right to vote. It was during these progressive times in history, when Amelia Earhart was born. She was lucky to grow up in a time when visions of women in society were slowly evolving, and she greatly supported, and contributed to these transformations. “The whole subject is one in which I am deeply interested. I believe women’s changing status will have great

1

Earhart, “Last Flight.” 25.

2 effect on future economic processes.” 2 Amelia represented the “New Woman” of the twentieth century, because she was well-educated, had a career, and she did not limit herself to the domestic role, unlike women who came before her. Not only that, but she became famous as a professional pilot, which was a field controlled by men.

Allies in Breaking the Barrier/Life Influences Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas during the time when, as Amelia put it, “girls were still girls”. As a child, Amelia was a tomboy. She was fascinated by adventure and spent long hours playing with her younger sister, climbing trees, sledding, bicycling and taking part in many outdoor activities that at the time were not considered appropriate for young girls. Her bold personality would later prove perfect for a career in aviation. Even though she loved her father, he struggled with alcoholism which often caused tension and marital problems between her parents. This greatly contributed to her not wanting to marry later on in life so not to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become domestic and instead become an independent woman. Amelia didn’t become interested in flying until she visited her sister in Toronto and became a volunteer at a war hospital. Seeing military airplanes flying nearby increased her exposure to planes and sparked her interest. When she eventually got her first opportunity to go up in an airplane as a passenger during an air show, she realized it was what she wanted to do. She paid for her own flying lessons by working several different jobs and was determined to achieve her goal of possessing a plane of her own no matter what. Amelia realized that she chose to pursue a career at the time reserved for men, but that did not bother her

2

National Woman’s Party, “Amelia Earhart Fund,” 195.

3 at all. She believed that “men and women were equal in jobs requiring intelligence, coordination, speed, coolness and willpower.” 3 In June 1928, Amelia received a phone call while working at a settlement house in Boston, a phone call that would change her life forever. Captain Hilton H. Railey was looking for a female to become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. He employed George Palmer Putnam, a publisher and a public relations man, to find an ideal candidate for the project. It was Putnam who found Amelia and phoned her with an invitation to join the Friendship flight.

Amelia was going to be a passenger on the flight and would not receive any compensation, unlike the pilots of the mission, but that did not bother her. She felt honoured to have been invited because she learned that she was an ideal fit, “the candidate, I gathered, should be a flyer herself, with social graces, education, charm and, perchance, pulchritude.” 4 Being part of the Friendship flight was a life-changing experience for Amelia. She not only became famous but she became an instant role model for women. She was admired by women and various women’s groups but also political figures and even complete strangers. She received hundreds of congratulatory notes in the form of telegrams and letters from all over the world. Her accomplishment of taking part in the Friendship flight was considered “liberating for females” 5 everywhere. After the flight, George Palmer Putnam became Amelia’s manager and, three years later, her husband. He proposed marriage to her six times before she finally agreed.

Earhart and Putnam had a relationship based solely on mutual respect. They both had their own professional lives, and Mr. Putnam was never threatened my Amelia’s fame or accomplishments. As a matter of fact, he encouraged Amelia’s aspirations and her flying exploits. Their marriage was very successful even though it was not a traditional marriage of the

3

Bolden, “Amelia Earhart: Breaking Barriers,” 1.

Earhart, “Last Flight.” 5.

5 Watson, “Amelia Earhart: The Flying Feminist.” 4.

4

4 times. Putman focused on letting Amelia be who she wanted to be and he treated her equal. It was very important to Amelia to have a partner who not only loved her but understood her motives and the fact that she had professional dreams of her own. Amelia was glad to have such a supportive husband, as shown when she said “Mr. Putnam, a practicing believer in wives doing what they do best, is an approving and helpful partner in all my projects.” 6 Furthermore, Amelia truly believed that it was beneficial for women to have their own careers and contribute financially to their marriages and that this actually created more successful marriages. She once stated that “the individual independence of dollars-and-cents tends to keep a healthy balance of power in the kingdom of the home.” 7

Immediate Impact and Resistance to Breaking the Barrier After her flight with the Friendship crew, Amelia became an immediate hero to women all across the country. Her accomplishments were considered remarkable even by men who have previously thought that women were not able to be successful in a traditionally male field, “Ralph Blumenfeld, editor of the Daily Express, said, ‘I hereby retract my pet theory that a woman never did anything really valuable’” 8 Amelia was celebrated for her bravery as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, even though she was only a passenger and did not actually fly the plane at any point of the flight. She ended up using her new public role and image to spread the word about women joining the workplace and the field of aviation. Amelia did so by traveling around the country in between her flights and giving lectures about her flying adventures and her general thoughts on equality. She knew she had to take advantage of every opportunity to advance her cause. She did this also with her flying. With each flying record Amelia broke over

6

Earhart, “Last Flight.” 27.

Putnam and Earhart, “My Wife - My Husband.” 97.

8 Earhart, “Women and Courage.” 55.

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5 the next five years, she overcame prejudice against her or women as a whole. For example, after her first solo flight across the Atlantic, the Manchester Guardian reported “She has succeeded in proving that the flight is not beyond the knowledge and the capacity for sustained endurance which a woman can acquire.” 9 Later, in 1935, when Amelia joined Purdue University as a mentor for women, she experienced unwelcoming attitudes and negative attention from male professors and male students because she made her beliefs too vocal. She decided to make it “her mission to change the climate at Purdue’s campus and break down the barriers that separated the female students from their male classmates.” 10 Male students didn’t like her encouraging females to compete for the same jobs as them. While at Purdue Amelia began preparing for her “World Circling Project” during which time she continued to further dismiss doubts that she was not a capable or knowledgeable aviator. In one of her journal entries published in Last Flight she writes “Being men and being engaged in a highly essential phase of the serious business of air transportation, they all naturally had preconceived notions about a woman pilot bent on a ‘stunt’ flight - not very favorable notions, either. It was undoubtedly, something of a shock to discover that the ‘gal’...was exceptionally pleasant and reasonable human being who ‘knew her stuff’...Any lingering doubts were dispelled when it developed that this particular woman aviator not only was thoroughly familiar with every part of her airplane, but was not above helping push it in and out of the hanger or lending a hand on any job where it was needed.” 11

Changes After the Barrier Was Broken

9

Lusher, “Amelia Earhart: Why she should,” 8.

Watson, “Amelia Earhart: The Flying Feminist.” 21.

11 Earhart, “Last Flight.” 50.

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6 Between 1928 and 1935, Earhart broke numerous flying records. First, it was the aforementioned Friendship Flight, where she was the first woman to cross the Atlantic in June 1928, and soon after, she became the first woman to make a solo trans-continental flight in September of the same year. In May 1932, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person ever to fly over the Atlantic two times. Three years later, Amelia became the first person, male or female, to fly from Hawaii to California. She became famous for breaking all these records, and “her celebrity secured her the public’s admiration, which she then used to shape and mold discussions about femininity in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s.” 12 One of the things Amelia Earhart did was write for the Cosmopolitan, a wide-spread magazine that was read by females all over the country. By doing so, she was able to share her knowledge and opinions about aviation, as well as offer her thoughts on women's roles in general. At the magazine, she wrote a monthly column and replied to letters from readers. During the time she spent writing, Amelia found the perfect outlet to spread her feminist ideas.

Besides writing for the magazine, Amelia also greatly supported the National Woman’s Party and their push for the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1932, she campaigned with fellow representatives of the NWP for the amendment, while receiving her Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society for her transatlantic solo flight, presented to her by President Hoover. Years after her disappearance, the NWP established a fund in Amelia’s name, because of her unending involvement in helping fight for equal rights. The Equal Rights Magazine, in 1938 stated that Amelia “literally gave wings to the cause of equal rights. In flying, and in all else that she did, she claimed for herself the right to equality with men.” 13

12 13

Watson, “Amelia Earhart: The Flying Feminist.” 2.

National Woman’s Party, “Amelia Earhart Fund,” 195.

7 One other way Amelia publicized her views, mentioned previously, was by traveling around the country giving lectures. At one such event, in the fall of 1934, she was noticed by Dr. Edward C. Elliott, president of Purdue University, who was impressed by Earhart and thought her image and beliefs would make her a perfect role model for the female students at his school.

Elliott offered Amelia a position as a counselor at the school, and she accepted mainly because she liked what she saw already happening at Purdue, “Practical mechanical training, engineering and the like, is available without discouragement to women students there.” 14 Also, she learned that “Elliott’s views on women were radical for the time. He was dedicated to preparing his female students for careers outside the home.” 15 Working at Purdue, Amelia made it her mission to encourage as many girls as possible to study whatever they want and to compete for the same jobs as male students.

Lasting Impact and Legacy Today Even today, Amelia Earhart continues to inspire young women to pursue their dreams, not only in the field of aviation but in all careers that are beyond traditional. As mentioned before, during her time as a counselor at Purdue University, she encouraged women to enter fields in engineering and science. Amelia’s wish of seeing women to do just that is still alive.

There are women scientists being named Nobel Prize winners with the most recent women awarded a Nobel Prize being Esther Duflo in Economics (2019), Donna Strickland in Physics, and Frances Arnold in Chemistry (2018). In addition, according to National Science Foundation statistics, the number of women earning bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering increased from about 50,000 in 1966 to 360,000 in 2016. Another great example is the fact that the 2016

14 15

Earhart, “Last Flight.” 26.

Watson, “Amelia Earhart: The Flying Feminist.” 17.

8 class of astronauts was 50% female. The more women who go after these careers, the greater amount of role models for girls growing up in this age. In addition to that, on February 6, 2020, NASA astronaut Christina Koch has returned from an 11-month mission to space breaking a record of the longest spaceflight ever achieved by a woman.

One of the most famous aviators of today inspired specifically by Amelia Earhart is actually another Amelia Earhart (no relation to the Amelia from the 1930s). Amelia Rose Earhart flew around the world in 2014 to recreate her forerunner’s attempt. This time, however, the modern aviator broadcasted her 17-day flight live on social media. This attracted a lot of attention and was also an effective way to spread awareness about women in aviation. The modern technology of today makes these kinds of expeditions much easier than in the 1930s.

It is obvious that the vision of women that Amelia Earhart had is being fulfilled by the many women aviators and scientists who continue to break new grounds. Even though Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 on her final flight, “her legacy was intact.

Women who followed could do whatever men could do and were willing to take the risk and enjoy the adventure.” 16

Conclusion Amelia Earhart was an inspiring female aviator who broke many records not only in the sky but also on the ground. She is remembered by her accomplishments as a woman in a man’s field, by her outspokenness on women’s roles in society, her support of the feminist movement and by her thought-provoking words: “Someday, people will be judged by their individual

16

Boisseau, “Expedition Amelia.” N/A.

9 aptitude to do a thing and [society] will stop blocking off certain things as suitable to men and suitable to women.” 17

17

Córdova, “Amelia Earhart's legacy,” 3.

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Annotated Bibliography Primary Sources

Amelia Earhart talking to coeds on the Purdue University campus. Nov. 1935. Amelia Earhart at Purdue, Purdue U, West Lafayette, AEPb2f3i12.

This photo depicts Amelia conversing with a few of her Purdue female students while she worked at Purdue as a Career Mentor. Amelia's goal was to inspire the female students and make an impact on their lives by sharing her own experiences as a female aviator and especially as a successful female in a male field. Earhart's female students adored her. She encouraged them to be independent and study whatever they want. This is why the photo is relevant to my topic.

Earhart, Amelia. Last Flight. Edited by George Palmer Putnam, New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1937.

This book is a primary source published in 1937 after Amelia's disappearance. It is in a format of diary entries by Amelia from all stops on her last flight (world flight in 1937) up to the last location she communicated from. Included are letters, diary entries, charts and photos Amelia sent back to her husband during her journey. I found this source very helpful because it allowed me to learn more about Amelia herself, what mattered to her while working/flying, about her personal experiences and feelings about life in general and about the different locations she actually visited on her world flight. Even though many of the entries

11 are very technical, they also include personal information from her point of view.

There are many great quotes by her and about her as well as photographs.

Earhart, Amelia. "Women and Courage." Cosmopolitan, vol. 93, Sept. 1932, pp. 54-55+.

This article is actually written by Amelia Earhart and touches upon the idea of what it means to be courageous and brave. It is a primary source in which she shares her personal opinion on courage when it comes to men vs. women. From this article I learned that Amelia does not agree with the common belief of the times that courage is considered a characteristic of a man and that "women were bred to timidity". She believes that specific types of courage in women are overlooked like childbirth and raising children as well as the sacrifices of women to be mothers, wives and housekeepers. Overall she is not happy with the idea of male superiority.

Earhart and George Palmer Putnam. National Air and Space Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington , DC, 82-8669.

Amelia was married to George Palmer Putnam. He was her publicist and manager.

The two had a pretty amazing relationship based on mutual respect. George supported and encouraged Amelia to pursue her dreams and did not mind that she was an aviator. He was a very important person in her life and that is why I feel this photo is important to my topic.

Keystone View Co. Untitled. 21 May 1932. National Geographic, 16 Dec. 2013, www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jun17/earhart-flies-across-atlantic/. Accessed 12 Jan. 2020.

12 In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland in Canada on a flight to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Originally she meant to land in Paris, but due to bad weather and technical problems she landed near Londonderry in the Gallagher family's field. In this photo she is greeting her supporters after she landed. This photo is relevant to my research because Amelia being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic (as a pilot) is one of her major accomplishments as a female aviator.

Mantz, Paul; Earhart, Amelia Mary; Noonan, Fred; Manning, Harry; Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart Aircraft. 18 Mar. 1937. National Air Museum Photography Collection, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Archives Division, Washington, DC, NASM-157896.

This photo depicts Amelia's original last flight crew before taking off on the first leg of her around the world flight from Oakland, California for Honolulu. When Amelia was taking off from Honolulu, on her second leg of the trip, her plane had some mechanical issues and the wing clipped the ground. The airplane crashed (without injuries) and its landing gear collapsed. After this the plane had to be shipped for repairs. When attempting to continue a few months later, two of the members of the crew were no longer onboard. I thought this photo was significant because it represents a very crucial point in Amelia's life and shortly before her unfortunate disappearance.

National Woman's Party. "'Amelia Earhart Fund For Equal Rights.'" Equal Rights, vol. 24, no. 2, 15 Jan. 1938, pp. 195+.

This article came out as part of the Equal Rights magazine after Amelia's disappearance. The members of the National Woman's Party chose to name their

13 Fund for Equal Rights after Amelia because of the fact that she exemplified the principle of equal rights and supported the cause. They approached Amelia's husband, George Palmer Putnam, and asked him for permission to use her name and he agreed and felt honored on Amelia's behalf. Amelia believed that women and men should have equal rights before the law and in the economic field. I found this article relevant because Amelia felt very strongly about the equality between men and women and she advocated for the cause quite a bit. Her contributions and support of the ERA definitely helped the issue become heard.

Ombaugh, Carolyn. "Telegram, Undated, Yonkers, NY, to Amelia Earhart." Received by Amelia Earhart. George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers, Purdue U, West Lafayette, b3f34i22. Telegram.

This telegram was a note of congratulations to Amelia Earhart after her solo flight across the Atlantic. She received many such telegrams, from different political figures, family friends, and even complete strangers. Many were from women.

This is an example of one of them. Women applauded Amelia's achievements, which represented progress for women during those times. I find these letters and notes important in understanding how Amelia impacted women all over, and how she made them realize that they are just as capable of flying airplanes as men.

Putnam, George Palmer, and Amelia Earhart. "My Wife - My Husband." Redbook, Sept. 1932, pp. 22-23+.

These joint editorials by Amelia Earhart and her husband, George Palmer Putnam, were part of one article. Each discusses their marriage and their thoughts on each other. Putnam is a very supportive husband and one that is not threatened by Amelia's success. He actually encourages and supports Amelia in all her

14 endeavors. In her essay, Amelia mentions how much she appreciates having a husband and a partner that lets her be and who treats her equal. Both agree that there is no such thing as one spouse (female) having to follow orders from the other (male), as it was still the case in most traditional marriages of the time.

George and Amelia have a mutual respect for each other and believe that if both partners are allowed to have their own professional lives, it actually makes their marriage stronger and more successful. This primary source is relevant to my topic because it allowed me to learn about the dynamic of Amelia's marriage and how important it was for her to have a partner that understands the fact that she had dreams of her own and wanted to go after them.

Underwood & Underwood. President Hoover today presented the coveted [sic] gold medal of the National Geographic Society to Mrs. Amelia Earhardt [i.e., Earhart], in recognition of her recent non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. 1932. Library of Congress, USA.gov, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002721519/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2020.

This photograph depicts President Hoover presenting Amelia Earhart with a Gold Medal by the National Geographic Society for her transatlantic solo flight. It is also at this time when Amelia voiced her support for the Equal Rights Amendment which was very important in the fight for women's equality. This photo is relevant because it shows Amelia's willingness to use her position to advance not just herself but all women.

"Woman to Woman." 23 June 1928. George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers, Purdue U, West Lafayette, AESB001.

When Amelia took part in her first transatlantic flight as a member of the Friendship crew, she was admired by all, especially women. Even though she did

15 not pilot the plane on this trip, she ended up being praised for her bravery and courage. All women looked up to her because she took part in something most women did not do at that time and she was the first one to do it.

Secondary Sources

"Amelia Earhart – an inspiration to generations of strong women." ARTS, ARTS Holding SE, arts.eu/blog/amelia-earhart-an-inspiration-to-generations-of-strong-women. Accessed 9 Jan. 2020.

This article talks a little about Amelia's childhood and then her career as well as legacy. She strongly believed that "women must attempt the same things as men, and any failure should only serve as an encouragement for others to achieve the same goal at some time in the future." What I learned from this article and found relevant to my topic, is the fact that part of Amelia's legacy today are references to her character in modern pop culture. Also, "The Amelia Project" completed by Amelia Rose Earhart was in honor of Amelia and with a similar purpose to continue inspiring young girls and women to go after their dreams and do "extraordinary" things. Finally, Amelia Earhart was also an inspiration for Nicola Baumann who is one of the German Military's first Eurofighter pilots and will orbit the earth as the first German woman on the International Space Station.

Bolden, Charles F., Jr. "Amelia Earhart: Breaking Barriers of Earth and Sky." HuffPost, edited by N/A, Verizon Media, 11 Jan. 2014,

16 www.huffpost.com/entry/amelia-earhart-breaking-barriers-of-earth-and-sky_b_4581137.

Accessed 6 Jan. 2020.

This article talks about Amelia Earhart's legacy and how she paved the way for women in aviation. It discusses her accomplishments as a woman pilot that inspired and continues to inspire women to become scientists. It also mentions how important Amelia was to organizations such as NACA (later NASA) when it comes to the inclusion of women scientists. Lastly it talks about the fact that Amelia helped close the gender gap in the STEM professions.

Córdova, France A. "Amelia Earhart's legacy for women." AJC, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3 Nov. 2009, www.ajc.com/news/opinion/amelia-earhart-legacy-for-women/C8tzoYoxFwWtxnw3oQU 6pN/. Accessed 12 Jan. 2020.

This article mostly describes Amelia Earhart's impact on women in the science and engineering industries. Because of having a very notable career as a female aviator during a time like the 1930s, she has inspired many women into pursuing careers that were not considered "typical". In the 1930s, Amelia predicted that there would come a day when society would "stop blocking off certain things as suitable to men and suitable to women." Earhart's dream is alive, as now we have women scientists being named Nobel Prize winners and more women continue to advance in all areas of science and engineering. Amelia inspired women for generations to come to pursue their dreams regardless of how difficult they might seem to be realized. I found this article helpful to my research because I learned about many women of today that were impacted by Amelia Earhart.

17 Dismore, David. "September 22, 1932: Amelia Earhart Lobbies for the ERA at the White House." Feminist Majority Foundation, Feminist Newswire, 22 Sept. 2014, feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/09/22/september-22-1932-amelia-earhart-lobbies-for-th e-era-at-the-white-house/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2020.

This article discusses the fact that Amelia Earhart voiced her support for the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would stop civil rights from being denied based on gender. Amelia met with President Hoover in 1932 to discuss this issue and told him "I know from practical experience of the discriminations which confront women when they enter an occupation where men have priority in opportunity, advancement and protection.

In aviation the Department of Commerce recognizes no differences between men and women licensed to fly. I feel that similar equality should be carried into all fields of endeavor, so that men and women may achieve without handicap because of sex." At this time is when she was awarded the Gold Medal by the National Geographic Society for her transatlantic solo flight. It was helpful for my research to learn of ways in which Earhart role as a famous and accomplished aviator to support the fight for women's equality and earn a place in the history of feminism.

"Expedition Amelia." Performance by Robert Ballard and Tracy Jean Boisseau. Expedition Amelia, National Geographic, 20 Oct. 2019.

This National Geographic special primarily covered Amelia Earhart's disappearance and various theories (or conspiracies) about it. It also was a tribute to Amelia as a feminist hero. There were many video clips and photos about Amelia's childhood and how it shaped her life. The program included many useful insights on Amelia's life as a female aviator and on her many achievements.

18 Everything was discussed in the context of what was happening in the world, especially pertaining to women's roles. Many experts and biographers shared their opinion and understanding of Amelia's life. This portion of the show really helped me further understand Amelia. The remaining details of the expedition to find Amelia's bones or her plane at the bottom of the Pacific were not relevant to my topic. Overall it was a good source of information about Amelia and it especially brought her to life for me through the video or radio footage that was included.

Lusher, Adam. "Amelia Earhart: Why she should be remembered for much more than her mysterious disappearance." Independent, Independent Digital News & Media Limited, 8 Mar. 2018, www.independent.co.uk/news/people/amelia-earhart-mystery-solved-disappearance-bone s-discovered-island-female-pioneer-feminist-a8248711.html. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

This article begins with various theories and myths about what might have happened to Amelia Earhart when she disappeared. Some of these include Amelia being a secret spy and on a secret spying mission or being captured by the Japanese. The second half of the article talks about why it is important to actually remember Amelia Earhart and that it isn't just for her mysterious disappearance.

What is mentioned is exactly what my topic covers, the fact that Amelia broke many flying records and while doing so she was proving that women can also be courageous and that they don't have to conform to domestic roles if they don't want to.

National Woman's Party. "'Amelia Earhart Fund For Equal Rights.'" Equal Rights, vol. 24, no. 2, 15 Jan. 1938, pp. 195+. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.

19 This article came out as part of the Equal Rights magazine after Amelia's disappearance. The members of the National Woman's Party chose to name their Fund for Equal Rights after Amelia because of the fact that she exemplified the principle of equal rights and supported the cause. They approached Amelia's husband, George Palmer Putnam, and asked him for permission to use her name and he agreed and felt honored on Amelia's behalf. Amelia believed that women and men should have equal rights before the law and in the economic field. I found this article relevant because Amelia felt very strongly about the equality between men and women and she advocated for the cause quite a bit. Her contributions and support of the ERA definitely helped the issue become heard.

Watson, Emilie. "Amelia Earhart: The Flying Feminist." Flight Paths: Purdue University's Aerospace Pioneers, Purdue University, 13 Sept. 2016, flightpaths.lib.purdue.edu/blog/2016/09/13/amelia-earhart-the-flying-feminist/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2020.

This article is not a primary source, but it contains numerous relevant primary quotes, and is one of my most helpful sources especially when it comes to understanding Amelia Earhart's role as an important figure in the history of feminism. The article covers her childhood, and how it shaped her attitude towards life, her flying career, and finally her job as a women's counselor at Purdue, where she influenced young women to pursue their dreams and any chance to better themselves.