- About
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Curriculum
- Introduction
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Units
- 1492–1734Early Encounters
- 1692-1783Settler Colonialism and the Revolution
- 1783-1828Building a New Nation
- 1828-1869Expansions and Inequalities
- 1832-1877A Nation Divided
- 1866-1898Industry and Empire
- 1889-1920Modernizing America
- 1920–1948Confidence and Crises
- 1948-1977Growth and Turmoil
- 1974-2018The Information Age
- Discover
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Search
Women & the American Story (WAMS) is a free curriculum website from the New-York Historical Society. WAMS connects educators with classroom resources that illuminate diverse women’s contributions to the American past.
Explore the Units
Browse Highlights
Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977
Marsha P. Johnson: Transgender Activist
Marsha P. Johnson was a key figure in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. She was an activist and self-identified drag queen.
A Nation Divided, 1832-1877
Desegregation of Public Transportation
100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Elizabeth Jennings refused to leave a streetcar in New York City.
Settler Colonialism, 1692-1783
Collective Action for a Revolutionary Cause
In 1774, a group of women published their intention to boycott British goods. It was the first women’s public collective political action in American history.
Modernizing America, 1889-1920
Preserving Hispanic Heritage through Journalism and Education
Jovita Idar Juárez was a newspaper reporter and publisher who advocated for education and social services for the Hispanic community.
Confidence and Crises, 1920-1948
What would equality under the law look like?
The Equal Rights Amendment was first presented to Congress in 1923. Controversial at the time, it continues to be debated today.
Early Encounters, 1492-1734
Resisting Colonization and Fighting for Survival
Weetamoo was a Native American leader and warrior who fought to keep her people alive and resisted the aggression of European settlers.
A Nation Divided, 1832-1877
An Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Advocate Fights for Social Justice
Sojourner Truth took her freedom in 1828 and became a vocal fighter for abolition and women’s rights, traveling the country to share her story.
Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977
Fighting for Gender Equality
Billie Jean King was a champion on and off the tennis court, fighting for pay equality and advocating for women and the LGBTQ community.
Early Encounters, 1492-1734
STEM Connections from the Colonial Era
The first patent issued to an English colonist was for an invention created by Philadelphian inventor Sybilla Masters. It was filed under her husband’s name.
Modernizing America, 1889-1920
When Women Lost their Citizenship
This newspaper article challenges the Expatriation Act, a policy that linked a woman’s citizenship to her husband’s upon marriage.