Five American Women Rebels: The Lives and Legacies of Some of the Women Who Decisively Changed American Society

For much of American history, women were second-class citizens in the sense they could not vote or run for office and had few property rights. However, women were often able to overcome social restrictions and forcefully affect the world around them, sometimes nationally. This took a real force of character, determination, and sometimes bravery.

Women were discouraged from becoming involved in politics, and the majority of American men thought women belonged in the home. As the 1800s progr...