March is National Women’s History Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and public libraries all over the nation join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

 

According to the American Library Association, National Women’s History Month traces its origins back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was later observed in 1909.  In 1981, the U.S. Congress designated the second week of March National Women's History Week, and in 1987 Congress expanded it to a month-long observance.

 

The library has a wonderful selection of both fiction and nonfiction titles that recognize the lives and achievements of women throughout history and the present day. Keep reading to discover just a few of the titles we offer to delve deeper into the lives of some amazing women.

 

The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore is a story of Elizabeth Packard who courageously fought for her own freedom—and in so doing freed millions more. Elizabeth's refusal to be silenced and her ceaseless quest for justice not only challenged the medical science of the day, but also led to a giant leap forward in human rights.

 

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O'Brien weaves together the stories of five remarkable women: Florence Klingensmith, Ruth Elder, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Nichols, and Louise Thaden. Together, they fought for the chance to race against the men—and in 1936 one of them would triumph in the toughest race of all.

 

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory chronicles centuries of social and cultural change—from 1066 to modern times—powered by the determination, persistence, and effectiveness of women who went to war, plowed the fields, campaigned, wrote, loved, and much more.

 

How to be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty & Female Creativity by Jill Burke presents an alternative history of this fascinating period as told by the women behind the paintings, providing a window into their often overlooked or silenced lives.

 

The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women—And Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together, the Blackwell sisters founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women.

 

All of these books and more are available to check out at the Bridgeport Public Library.