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Women's History

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The Voteless Voters of Washington, D.C.

The Voteless Voters of Washington, D.C.

08/21/2020 in DC by Katherine Brodt

As we celebrate the Nineteenth Amendment’s centennial year, those of us in D.C. should also remember the women whose victory wasn’t assured in 1920. Our local story really isn’t about the large demonstrations down the Mall, or the women who protested outside the White House—the suffragettes of Washington were the Voteless Voters, who continued to fight long after the Amendment was ratified.

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DC
Anne Royall and the President's Clothes

Anne Royall and the President's Clothes

08/03/2020 in DC by Katherine Brodt

When the stresses of life in Washington became too much, John Quincy Adams calmed his nerves by taking early-morning swims in the Potomac River. In a move that might be considered questionable by today’s standards, he especially liked to soak in the brisk, cold water wearing nothing but his own skin. According to local lore, it once got him into a bit of trouble: Anne Royall, a trailblazing journalist, caught him in a very awkward situation. But is there any truth in the tale?

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DC
Dolley Madison, the Queen of Washington

Dolley Madison, the Queen of Washington

03/26/2020 in DC by Katherine Brodt

Today she is widely remembered for her heroism during the War of 1812, when she saved a portrait of George Washington from being taken and burned by British invaders. But during her lifetime, Dolley Madison was best known as a prominent socialite, hostess, and politician in her own right — one of the country’s first celebrity personalities. 

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DC
The Filipino Women’s Club of Washington D.C.

The Filipino Women’s Club of Washington D.C.

03/20/2020 in DC by Karis Lee

When the U.S. entered WWII in late 1941, women all over Washington stepped up to fulfill wartime needs; and Filipino women were certainly no exception. The Filipino Women's Club of Washington, formed in 1943, played a crucial role in the war effort and inspired community when the city most needed it. 

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DC
1969: Georgetown Becomes Fully Coed

1969: Georgetown Becomes Fully Coed

07/12/2019 in DC by Reagan Graney

“They’ll admit women to the College over my dead body!”

When the Georgetown University Board of Directors announced big changes coming to campus in 1969, at least one Jesuit priest was clearly not thrilled. Perhaps he had just read the headline: “Georgetown Breaks Tradition, Allows Women into the College of Arts and Sciences.” Perhaps he had not heard the rumors that his university needed money, and would be increasing its enrollment rate in the coming years. Perhaps he had neglected to look outside the window of his office and notice that women had been walking across Georgetown’s campus for many years already.

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DC
Women at War: The Navy's First African American Yeomanettes

Women at War: The Navy's First African American Yeomanettes

08/07/2018 in DC by Shaune Lee

As the United States entered World War I, women became a vital part of the war effort. The Navy created a single unit of African-American Yeomanettes, which was assigned to Washington D.C.'s Navy Yard, and quickly made an impression.

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DC
Chaos and Persistence at the 1913 Women's Suffrage March

Chaos and Persistence at the 1913 Women's Suffrage March

01/31/2018 in DC by Anne Hollmuller

On March 3, 1913, one day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson, 5,000 women marched on Pennsylvania Avenue to demand women's suffrage. Though their parade was met with violence from the crowd, the suffragettes kept marching toward the vote.

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DC
Tennis's Original Sister Act: Margaret and Roumania Peters

Tennis's Original Sister Act: Margaret and Roumania Peters

07/13/2017 in DC by Lila Spitz

Decades before Venus and Serena Williams dominated women’s tennis on the WTA tour, the Peters Sisters — Margaret Peters, a.k.a. “Pete", and Roumania Peters, a.k.a. “Repeat” — from Georgetown, were unstoppable champions in the all-black American Tennis Association.

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DC
Julia Child's Washington Roots

Julia Child's Washington Roots

04/26/2017 in DC by Claudia Swain

Julia Child was a giant of French cooking, but before she became a legend in the kitchen she worked in the Office of Strategic Services -- the precursor to the CIA -- in Washington, D.C.

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DC
The Women's Peace Party and Pacifism During WWI

The Women's Peace Party and Pacifism During WWI

04/06/2017 in DC by Marissa Dever

Two years before the United States entered World War I, women in Washington were gathering to protest the practice. As The Washington Post put it, “War was declared on war.”

The Women’s Peace Party was formed January 10, 1915 at a conference at the Willard Hotel. Speakers included Jane Addams, a pioneer of social work and feminism, Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the International Alliance for Women’s Suffrage, and other representatives from throughout the country, including two delegates from the District’s branch of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Over 3,000 attendees unanimously agreed on a “peace program,” to end the war practically.

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Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

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