Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Great Women of Our Pasts Homepage"

The Lynch Family: Immigration and the Industrial Revolution

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:51:38 GMT

Students can learn about the Lynches and the realities of life for many Americans during the Industrial Revolution by examining a map and description of their apartment, a page from an 1885 account book, and objects from the period. In the 1870s and 1880s, Catherine Tracy Lynch, an Irish immigrant, and her daughter, Mary, rented one side of the Ipswich, Massachusetts house that is the focus of Within These Walls, an online exhibition. Catherine took in laundry and Mary was one of hundreds of workers employed by Ipswich Mills. Renting meant sharing space with boarders, other renters in the house, and probably relatives recently arrived from Ireland.

The Scott Family: Life on the WWII Homefront

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:42:25 GMT

Through the use of a description of the apartment, an excerpt from Mary Scott's diary, and artifact from the period, students will learn about life on the home front during World War II. The Scotts rented apartment on the first floor of an Ipswich, Massachusetts house became a home front battlefield during World War II. The Scotts are one of the families that lived in the Ipswich, Massachusetts house which is the focus of Within These Walls, an online exhibition.

Bon Appétit! Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:12:56 GMT

Students can learn about Julia Child and her effect on American popular culture, cooking, and broadcast television in this online exhibition. Using an interactive, panoramic photograph, look around the entire kitchen as it exists on exhibit at the Smithsonian.

Setting the Precedent: Four Women Who Excelled in Business

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:34:57 GMT

This website will introduce students to four American women who succeeded in business during the twentieth century. Students can read about their lives and accomplishments, and learn about their careers through short biographies, timelines and interactive games. Each woman (Freda Diamond, Estelle Ellis, Dorothy Shaver, and Brownie Wise) was exceptional in many respects, and each achieved a degree of visibility in her field enjoyed by few other women.

Winning the Vote for Women

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:50:48 GMT

For more than a century, women in the United States struggled to obtain the right to vote. In 1920, the suffrage movement finally achieved victory with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. By using this OurStory module, children and adults can enjoy exploring the history of the women's suffrage movement and women's role in civic life today. Focused on actively reading Mama Went to Jail for the Vote, a historical fiction picture book about the women's suffrage movement, this module also includes links to a hands-on activity, field trip, object-based learning experience, and technology exploration.