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
Industry and Empire, 1866-1904
Edmonia Lewis: Sculptor and Activist
Edmonia Lewis was a Black and Indigenous sculptor who built a successful career through activist art.
Building a New Nation, 1776-1831
Women’s Suffrage Experiment
In 1776, New Jersey granted the right to vote to any person who lived in the state and owned property worth at least 50 pounds.
Settler Colonialism and the American Revolution, 1692-1783
Colonial Pennsylvanian Scientist
Susanna Wright was a Quaker scientist, poet, and innovator who became the first person to successfully cultivate silk worms in Pennsylvania.
Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977
Strike for Equality
On August 26, 1970, the women of America went on strike. In New York City, an estimated 50,000 women participated in a march down Fifth Avenue.
Video Library
Bring WAMS to life using short animated videos based on inspiring women’s stories and key themes. Find more in the Video Library.
New Netherland, How Two New Amsterdam Women Prevented a Colonial War
Learn about Lydia de Meyer and Hillegond van Ruyven, two women who opened negotiations with English invaders in 1664 to facilitate the surrender of New Netherland.
Watch (2:17)Chien-Shiung Wu, Physicist and Manhattan Project Contributor
Learn more about Chien-Shiung Wu, a Chinese American physicist who contributed to the development of the atomic bomb and overcame many racial and gender barriers.
Watch (2:29)Mary Church Terrell, Championing Suffrage and Civil Rights
Learn more about Mary Church Terrell, a lifelong activist who advocated for suffrage and equal rights on local, national, and international stages.
Watch (2:06)
