#margaret corbin

[tricornonthecob]

Since it'll probably be another month (or two) before Ch. 7 is done, here's a sneak peak.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

orvphil: so real

for example used analysis on the following instances

orville's physical reluctance & difficulty kneeling to propose to jane vs. readily swinging right into such a kneel with phil during 'til we meet again

'til we meet again

(see above) noting the "both immediately becoming So happy to be doing this" and "staring at each other for an unbroken ten seconds after finishing the song which was evidently beyond simply a [hold for applause] thing"

having indeed an adorable little meet-cute, which may not be an integral part of every eventual writer/lyricist & composer partnership

when phil drops in at wingate manor and he an orville have a private little wave to each other like =)

sitting next to each other sharing a hay bale and orville gets drinks for them both and phil walks orville home

lucky day

the choreography where orville's at the piano and phil swings it out while rotating it and orville's "walking" while sitting to one side to help (my analysis: going ohhhhh ;w;)

both simultaneously answering "his" when asked whose song it is like the earnest effortless mutual admiration and appreciation huh fellas

margaret talking about protecting your heart from these theatricals; orville Is one of these theatricals, and he loves it; phil watching him / reacting in this moment including his little "hell yeah" move like he had for orville going off in lucky day

their general enthusiasm together / for each other / enjoyment of being around each other and increased ease of operating when around each other

phil wishing orville could hear his music and talking about how orville ruined his own night to save theirs, then remarking "...what a guy!" mmhm

🌈🌈🌈

[whencyclopedia]

Women in the American Revolution

In Colonial America, women were discouraged from taking an interest in politics and were instead expected to focus only on traditionally 'feminine' matters, such as homemaking and childrearing. However, such gender roles were challenged during the American Revolution (1765-1789), when women played a crucial role in achieving the independence of the United States.

From the very first signs of tension between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain, colonial women discovered their political voice. Women were the driving force behind boycotts of British imports, shunning British tea in favor of local herbal substitutes, and holding spinning bees to reduce dependence on British cloth. Female writers, such as Mercy Otis Warren and Phillis Wheatley, helped turn public opinion against British rule, while hundreds of women accompanied the Continental Army to perform essential duties like washing, nursing, and cooking; some women, like Margaret Corbin, Mary Ludwig Hays, and Deborah Sampson, even took up arms and fought against the British. Although women were not viewed as politically equal to men after the war, their involvement proved to be a vital first step in the long struggle for women's rights in the United States.

Role of Women in Colonial America

In October 1608, the 'second supply' of English settlers arrived at the Jamestown Colony of Virginia to supplement the population of original settlers. Among these new arrivals was Thomas Forrest, a gentleman financier, who was accompanied by his wife, a woman listed in the ship's manifest only as 'Mistress Forrest', and her maid, Anne Burras. Mistress Forrest and Anne Burras were the first two English women to settle in Jamestown; Burras would marry later that year and earn the additional distinction of becoming the first English woman to give birth in Virginia. English women continued to sporadically arrive in Jamestown over the course of the next decade until 1619 when the Virginia Company decided to send large groups of women to foster a self-sustaining population. In 1620, 90 single women, many of them from poor families, arrived in Virginia as the first of the so-called Jamestown brides, or 'tobacco brides'. They were married off to Jamestown's male settlers, each of whom paid the Virginia Company a dowry of 120-150 pounds of tobacco. Additional groups of Jamestown brides continued to arrive in the following years.

Faced with this growing population of women, the colonists of Jamestown implemented a gender hierarchy similar to that which existed in England. This revolved around the doctrine of coverture, which stipulated that once a woman was married, she was under the complete authority of her husband and no longer enjoyed an independent legal status. A married woman, or feme covert, was legally considered to be one with her husband; she could no longer own property or sign contracts, and any money she earned belonged to her husband. Once a woman married, she was usually confined to the role of homemaker, devoting her hours to cleaning, cooking, ironing, sewing, and gardening. Divorce was difficult to obtain and was often only permissible if a pre-existing condition rendered the initial marriage invalid. As a result, many colonial women felt anxiety about marriage, with one woman referring to marriage as a 'dark leap' from the familiarity of her parents' house into an unknown future controlled by a man whose personality she may have misjudged (Norton, 42). Still, married life was more desirable than remaining a single woman – or feme sole – for too long, as spinsters were often placed near the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Of course, the status of colonial women varied from colony to colony, and widely depended on social class. Wealthy women, for instance, were usually better educated than lower-class women, as were women from Puritan New England who were often taught how to read in order to study the Bible. But, by and large, women were expected to remain within the 'feminine sphere' and to display only feminine traits such as modesty, cheerfulness, patience, and chastity. They were discouraged from expressing any interest in subjects that were considered masculine, particularly politics; attempts by colonial women to involve themselves in politics were met with punishment, as was the case with Anne Hutchinson, who was banished from Massachusetts in 1637 after challenging the authority of male religious leaders. But, as historian Mary Beth Norton points out, the advent of the American Revolution lent colonial women a political voice for the first time, helping to spark the slow progression of women's rights in the US.

Continue reading...

[sleepybamboo]

In your opinion, rank Liberty’s Kids characters on who can be trusted the most with a car to who shouldn’t even be 2 inches near the keys.

This question includes characters such as James, Sarah and Henri(I know they’re not old enough to drive yet but pretend they are), Moses, Dr. Franklin, John Adams, Sam Adams, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams, Margaret “Molly” Corbin, Margaret “Peggy” Shippen, Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, Nathaniel Greene, Lady Phillips, Major Phillips, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"CHARGE PIGEON THEFT." Montreal Gazette. December 12, 1913. Page 3. --- Upon a warrant from the Police Court charging him with the theft of 21 pigeons from the shop of Arthur Rapelle at 33 St. Margaret street, Paul Corbin, 17 years of age, of 100 Palm street, was arrested by Detectives Kavanagh and Fouccault yesterday afternoon. The prisoner was locked up at headquarters to appear in the Arraignment Court this morning.

[be-kind-to-all-kind]

Places in New York City that don't look like they're in NYC (and aren't in Central Park*)

Forest Hills Gardens, Queens

This lovely NYC neighborhood was modeled after an English village back when it was first built in 1910, offering a little piece of the UK in Queens, with quaint Tudor-style houses and a town center with a train station. Read more about it here.

Where: 71st Ave, Forest Hills, NY

The Met Cloisters, Washington Heights

If you didn’t know about The Cloisters before, you might not ever believe that a medieval castle was in the middle of New York City. But it is! The Cloisters is a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art that is devoted to European art history. It was designed and constructed taking elements from many different medieval cloisters, which are covered pathways in a church or monastery that connect to form an open square in the center. Find out more here.

Where: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive

Hours: Thursday-Tuesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Closed Wednesdays

Purchase tickets on their website here.

Villa Charlotte Bronte, The Bronx

Italy or the Bronx? The beautiful “Villa Charlotte Bronte” apartments look straight out of Europe. They were built in 1926 and sit along the Palisades, overlooking the Hudson River, in the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood of The Bronx. The design was actually based on an Italian villa, which definitely makes sense, and includes balconies as well as lush gardens!

Where: 2501 Palisade Ave, The Bronx

Fort Tryon Park, Inwood

These massive stone arches looks straight out of another era…and that’s because they are! Built between 1901 and 1905, the “Billings Arcade” is some of the last remains of the Tryon Hall mansion, built by wealthy Chicago industrialist Cornelius K. G. Billings. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the $2 million estate in 1917, only for it to burn down a few years later. Read more about the history from the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

Makes sense that #2 on our list is right next door!

Where: Riverside Dr. To Broadway (arches are near down toward the Billings Lawn, this website has good detailed directions)

Hours: Open daily, 6 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Greenacre Park, Midtown

This hidden little park in Midtown East is only 1/7 of an acre, but it definitely packs a punch. It holds a 25-foot waterfall that is not only a sight for sore eyes in the middle of Manhattan, and will also distract from the noise of the busy streets. It was built in 1971 by the Greenacre Foundation from a design by Hideo Sasaki.

Where: 217 E 51st St.

Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. *Reopens for the season Monday, April 3*

 Bonus: Here’s our list of other stunning secret gardens hidden in NYC 

Andrew Carnegie Mansion, Upper East Side

The Andrew Carnegie Mansion is a historical spot now home to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. The mansion was originally completed in 1902 and reached landmark status in 1974, though it has undergone much change over the years. The grounds of the mansion, and now museum, feature an expansive garden and cafe for visitors to enjoy as well as a little opulent oasis in the middle of Manhattan.

Where: 2 E. 91st Street

Hours: Thursday–Monday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Morgan Library, Murray Hill

The Morgan Library feels like a trip to a library from Harry Potter or old world Europe. The historical venue was built as a private library between 1902 and 1906 for financier Pierpont Morgan. He began collecting manuscripts and other historical materials as early as 1890, and now they line the walls of the museum. You can find some of the country’s rarest music manuscripts, early children’s books, Americana, early printed books and more there. Purchase tickets here.

Where: 225 Madison Ave

Hours: Varies, see website for more info

“Little Paris,” Nolita/SoHo

NYC’s own “Little Paris” is the work of one group of French business owners determined to showcase NYC’s own enclave of French culture on Centre Street in Nolita/SoHo (between Broome & Grand St.). Along Centre St. you can find French café and bakery Maman, wine bar La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, and art and home decor shop Clic. To complete the Parisian vibe is the old police headquarters located across the street from Coucou French Classes, whose architecture was inspired by Paris’s famous Hotel de Ville (City Hall) with its Beaux Arts style. Read more about it here.

Where: Centre Street between Broome & Grand St.https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7107213381651795246

Van Cortlandt House, The Bronx

The Van Cortlandt House is the oldest surviving building in The Bronx, and was built by Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699 – 1749) in 1748. The Van Cortlandts were a prominent merchant family who owned a plantation on the property. ​Generations of the family lived there for 140 years, and in 1887 it was sold to the City of New York and made into public park land (Van Cortlandt Park itself it also the third largest park in NYC and has lots of unique hiking trails and vantage points!). Before it was a museum it had many random, unique uses like a temporary police precinct and a living space for ranch hands that cared for a herd of buffalo on the property.

Where: 6036 Broadway, Van Cortlandt Park

Hours: Varies, see website for more info

Stone Street, Financial District

Stone Street is one of the rare cobblestone streets in NYC, that gives more of an old school European feel to the starkly modern city buildings around it. According to Untapped Cities, the street was one of the first to be paved with cobblestones (in 1658) in the Nieuw Amsterdam colony, which is where it got its name. Today, no cars are allowed through and in the warm weather because of outdoor seating, it’s one of the few NYC locations where drinking is actually allowed in the streets.

Where: From Whitehall St. to Broad St., between Marketfield St. and Bridge St.

Hours: Open 24 hours

Ford Foundation Garden, Midtown

Tucked all the way at the end of 42nd Street (between 2nd Ave. and the United Nations Plaza), the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice is a true hidden treasure of New York City. With sunlight streaming in on multiple sides, the 160-foot tall atrium holds 39 species of plants. There is also a reflecting pool, and a sensory garden with plant life you are encouraged to touch and smell. Read more here.

Where: 320 E. 43rd St.

Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChcXIbcAbpA/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fsecretnyc.co&rp=%2Fextraordinary-places-you-wont-believe-are-in-new-york-city%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A4699.899999999907%2C%22ls%22%3A3474.899999999907%2C%22le%22%3A3748.600000000093%7D

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens

If you’re looking to be surrounded by nature instead of the concrete jungle, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is the place for you. On over 9,155 serene acres you can hike, go bird-watching, explore turtle nesting and admire the wide variety of wildflowers, moths and butterflies.

Where: Cross Bay Blvd near Broad Channel, Queens

Hours: Open daily, 6a.m. – 9p.m.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Heights

This lush oasis in the heart of Brooklyn will make you feel like you’ve been completely transported to another city. During the cherry blossom bloom in the spring, it will surely feel like a trip to Japan, but year-round it provides a natural haven for New Yorkers with varying blooms all over its very walkable grounds. Purchase tickets on their website here.

Where: 455 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225

Hours: Varies, see website for more info

But of course, Check out Central Park and the other parks, and I definitely don't just mean the parts where everyone goes!

[lboogie1906]

John Quincy Adams (May 4, 1848 - September 4, 1922) Educator, newspaper publisher, and politician, he is known as the editor of the Western Appeal/The Appeal of St. Paul, transformed it into a national newspaper with offices in Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, and DC and he changed its name to The Appeal.

He was born free in Louisville to the Reverend Henry and Margaret Priscilla Adams (née Corbin). He was one of four children. He graduated from Oberlin College. He moved to Arkansas where he taught in schools in Little Rock before taking a position assisting his uncle, who was Arkansas’ Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was involved in Republican Party politics and served as an Engrossing Clerk in the state senate and as Deputy Commissioner of Public Works. He served as a result of Ganger and Storekeeper in the US Revenue Service. He and his brother Cyrus Field Adams published the weekly Louisville Bulletin. He was responsible for convening the first Colored National Press Convention and was elected its first president.

He partnered with Fredrick L. McGhee. The two were instrumental in initiating legal challenges to racial discrimination in Minnesota and in passing legislation guaranteeing civil rights. He and McGhee were founders of Minnesota’s Protective and Industrial League, which was affiliated with the Afro-American League and the Afro-American Council.

He was a consistent supporter of Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Model at the conventions of the Afro-American Council. That support damaged his reputation within that group allying itself to the Niagara Movement and the NAACP.

He married Ella Bell Smith (1892) and they had four children. He was one of the last post-reconstruction editors who survived into the twentieth century. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[thechasefiles]

For decades men held prominent positions of power not only in BARBADOS but around the world. So anyone who has a problem with female leading from the fore well that says a lot!!! As we are in the month of Black History Month let us celebrate these Black Barbadian Women. Well done Ladies!!! You’ve worked hard and are highly qualified for these positions. President – Sandra Mason Prime Minister- Mia Amor Mottley DEPUTY- PM - Santia Bradshaw Cabinet Secretary- Donna Cadogan Chief Education Officer –Ramona Archer Bradshaw Chief Fisheries Officer- Shelly Ann Cox/ Chief Agricultural Officer- Keeley Holder DPP -Donna Babb Agard. Director of DEM- Emergency Man. Sherry Hinds Chief Air Traffic Control Officer- Zeta Morris Chief Aeronautical Information Service Officer- Shirley Ford Director of Analytical Services- Beverley P Wood Director Barbados Drug Services- Mary Ann Hinds Coordinator Children Dev. Cente-Yvette Cumberbatch Registrar of Cooperatives-Sharon Drayton Chief Community Dev. Officer- Sandra Greenidge Registrar Corporate Affairs – Tamiesha Rochester Chief Archivist – Ingrid Thompson Dept. Constituency Empowerment- Sandra Greenidge Chief Electoral Officer - Angela Taylor Director Forensic Sciences-Cheryl Corbin Government Printer – Joan Griffith Chief Immigration Officer- Margaret Inniss Registrar of titles –Land Reg.-Michelle Johnson Post Master General- Shelia Greaves This is the perfect time to inspire your daughters by reading this list to them. As we celebrate all the amazing things other women around the world have accomplished we can also celebrate our own! #thechasefiles #blackhistorymonth #womeninpower #empoweringwomen #putawomaninfront #thetimeisnow #melaninmagic #blackgirlmagic https://www.instagram.com/p/CoUZwmCg0yeQVKtprnNDWV0HG8OWeMkj85uLqE0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[murfreesboronews]

Dorris Daniel Obituary

DORRIS CALDWELL “JIM” DANIEL, JR., born in Corbin, KY on March 6, 1935, died 30 June 2024 in Murfreesboro, TN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorris “Scott” Daniel, Sr., and Margaret Shelley Daniel, as well as many cousins, aunts and uncles. He is survived by his wife, the former Susan Garretson. They married 61 years ago in Lynchburg, VA. They have lived in Murfreesboro since 1974. He…

[keithgoldstein]

Margaret Corbin Circle

L1130950

[tricornonthecob]

just playin'

[unproduciblesmackdown]

meanwhile, some quotes about the material:

The "musical within a musical" is about a ramshackle theater troupe haphazardly putting on a show destined for Broadway in exchange for doing chores around the farm. People fall in and out of love throughout the process, all while the city folk comically struggle with the country life. Emmy-winning writer Cheri Steinkellner was given one mandate, however: "No tractor," she laughed on the phone just weeks before the show was set to begin previews. "They were adamant about that. And there's a tractor in the movie. There's a tractor in almost every scene. It's in many ways about a tractor. But I was told absolutely no tractor." [...] "We're all working on this like we're on an actual summer stock schedule. Art imitates life imitates art. It's just go, go, go. And I couldn't be prouder of our cast, and our Jane and Joe," Steinkellner, who is also a Golden Globe winner, said. Her writing partner also happens to be her husband Bill. "Our 'Summer Stock' is more 'inspired by' than adaptation. There are four songs included from the original film that you can't not do. But the new songs are the best of the old songs. The secret sauce was the great American Songbook." She said "It Had To Be You" is one of the classics audiences can expect.  

[source: ‘High School Musical’s’ Corbin Bleu makes his Goodspeed debut in ‘Summer Stock’]

So, how different is the musical Summer Stock from the movie? It feels like a whole new animal, even though we’ve borrowed some elements from the movie. It is still, first and foremost, a love letter to the theater; it’s about this group of players who come to a farm to put on a show. So many numbers are how they get into farming through performance! We also still focus on how Joe and his partner Phil [played by Gilbert L. Bailey II] fight to get the show on its feet, and how Joe helps his eventual love interest Jane [played by Danielle Wade] find her inner performer. But a lot has changed from the film, including some of the relationships. We have a brilliant new writer, Cheri Steinkellner, who has dropped in a lot of nods to why we love musical theater. We have Veanne Cox as Orville’s mother, who is the new “villain” of the piece. And we’ve added a lot of music, such as “It Had to Be You” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” and we’ve switched around who’s singing some of the film’s songs, such as “Dig, Dig, Dig” and “Happy Harvest.” But the most important thing is that while we’re still in the late 1940s, there are two Black actors playing the male leads – me and Gilbert Bailey as Phil – and it is definitely not color-blind casting; it’s color-conscious. That means we’re dealing with an interracial love affair, for instance. The racial element is an additional driving force, which I think is necessary, but the main story isn’t about the struggle for racial equality. In the end, it’s still a feel-good MGM-like affair. You’ve previously stepped into the figurative shoes of Gene Kelly, who originated the role of Joe in the movie, as well as Fred Astaire. How does that feel? I am always aware these golden age icons from MGM have such a specific style and that they make what they do look easy. Of course, I want to bring that to Joe. But in the tap dance sequence, for instance, we also have a bit of Gregory Hines, even though I’m no Gregory Hines. And at the end of the day, it’s me on stage, and I work hardest on finding my own characterization of these roles. This is your first time working with Donna Feore, who is one of Canada’s leading directors and choreographers. Tell me about your experience with her? Donna is wonderful to work with, both as director and choreographer. I think the best thing about her handling both roles is we don’t have to get everyone on the same page, because she is the same page. She’s also really hands-on with the music; she fought to have a drummer in the room during rehearsals so we could find those beats while we created the choreography, not just insert them later. As she directs, she considers the movement of every scene, but also the story that we’re telling through that movement! It’s not movement for movement’s sake, and I appreciate that! Goodspeed isn’t the easiest place to do a dance-oriented show, is it? Yes, we’re dealing with the confines of a very small stage, it’s like dancing on a Chiclet. I am so impressed how vibrantly our cast can move on this stage. We’re on top of each other!  I think we’d look great on a bigger stage, which is just one reason why everyone is focused on moving this show to New York.

[source: Interview: Corbin Bleu Talks About the New Musical Summer Stock and the Fourth Season of HSMTMTS]

“Summer Stock” is right in Corbin Bleu’s wheelhouse. “I feel at home on the stage,” he said. An actor, singer and dancer his whole life, Bleu is appearing in the upcoming stage adaptation of the Hollywood musical beginning July 7 at the Goodspeed Opera House. ���I established myself in this particular genre, doing shows associated with Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire,” he said. “I am a bit of an old soul. This is what my voice naturally goes to.” The “High School Musical” star is playing Joe Ross, one of a troupe of actors that descends on a small farming town to turn an old barn into a theater. It appears he was born to play the role originated by Kelly on the big screen. “I grew up as a theater kid,” Bleu said. “I grew up watching old MGM movies. I was a theater nerd and a musical theater fan. My dad kept a storage unit of stuff from our childhood, and he found an old school paper from when I was in elementary school where I’m dreaming of performing in musicals.” [...] Of the four shows, “Holiday Inn” is most similar to “Summer Stock,” which was also adapted from a movie . “Holiday Inn” was a fairly close reworking of the film, but “Summer Stock” takes a few more liberties. “It’s not the exact same story,” Bleu said. “When I watch the movie, I think it could definitely use some updates.” Those updates include a multi-racial cast. “Let’s not skirt the obvious,” Bleu said. “I’m a Black guy doing characters traditionally played by white men, doing things Black men weren’t traditionally able to do easily at the time these shows take place.” [...] “Some parts of the book are still in process,” Bleu said. “Cheri is in the room with us at rehearsals. We want this to feel modern, but we don’t want to shoehorn anything in. “I was also part of the workshop we did in New York a month and a half ago,” he added. “I’m loving seeing it and I’m loving being a part of it. We know this genre. It’s a feel-good musical comedy, a big song and dance show.” Though there is a lot that has been rethought when reshaping “Summer Stock” for the 21st-century stage, those who know it as a Gene Kelly movie will have plenty to latch onto. “We are completely paying our homage to Gene,” Bleu said. “I am not Gene, but I do have a natural tendency to lean into that style. Gregory Hines is also a big inspiration. There’s tap dancing in this. There’s a whole Lindy Hop number. There are a lot of very large dance numbers.”

[source: ‘High School Musical’ star Corbin Bleu is rethinking ‘Summer Stock’ at the Goodspeed Opera House]

[intergalacticspaceking]

The Cloisters

99 Margaret Corbin Drive

New York, NY 10040

United States

[sleepybamboo]

Sanity Percentages of Liberty’s Kids Characters:

Everyone’s mental state is slowly, but surely deteriorating-

James Hiller: 95%

Sarah Phillips: 98%

Henri LeFevbre: 89%

Moses Franklin: 87%

Dr. Benjamin Franklin: 83%

John Adams: 79%

Thomas Jefferson: 82%

Abigail Adams: 74%

George Washington: 65%

Marquis de Lafayette: 71%

Alexander Hamilton: 69%

John Laurens: 63%

Benedict Arnold: 54%

Margaret “Peggy” Shippen: 76%

Ethan Allen: 56%

Margaret “Molly” Corbin: 79%

Thomas Paine: 41%

Lady Phillips: 67%

Major Phillips: 54%

[militaryinclusivityresearch]

Over 200 Years of Service: The History of Women in the U.S. Military

From the battlefields of the American Revolution to the deserts of Kuwait, women have been serving in the military in one form or another for more than 200 years. They have had to overcome decades of obstacles to get to where they are today: serving in greater numbers, in combat roles and in leadership positions all around the world.

Here is a look at the history of women in the military, how their roles have changed over the years and how the USO has supported them since our founding as an organization in 1941.

Revolutionary War

Although women were not always permitted to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces, many still found ways to serve their nation.

During the Revolutionary War, as colonial militias armed themselves and joined George Washington’s Continental Army, many of these soldiers’ wives, sisters, daughters and mothers went with them. These women traveled alongside the Continental Army, where they boosted morale as well as mended clothes, tended to wounds, foraged for food, cooked and cleaned both laundry and cannons.

Photo credit Library of Congress

After her husband was killed in battle, Margaret Corbin continued to fight from his post at Fort Washington.

Some women found ways to join the fight for independence. Margaret Corbin, for example, disguised herself as a man and traveled with her husband to the front lines of the Battle of Fort Washington, where she helped him load his cannon. When her husband was shot by enemy fire, Corbin carried on fighting, even after being shot three times. She was given a military pension in acknowledgment of her efforts, and years after her death was reburied at West Point with full military honors. Similarly, Deborah Sampson fought disguised as a man for years before her true sex was revealed. Other women, such as Lydia Darragh, also supported the war effort by spying on behalf of the Patriots.

However, women’s roles in the military became even more crucial during the Civil War, as their support expanded.

Civil War

During the Civil War, nearly 20,000 women lent their skills and efforts in everything from growing crops to feed Union troops to cooking in Army camps. Other tasks included sewing, laundering uniforms and blankets and organizing donations through door-to-door fundraising campaigns.

Photo credit U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center

Nurse Annie Bell with patients after the Battle of Nashville during the Civil War, circa 1864.

Notably, it was during the Civil War that women began to serve as nurses on a much larger and more official scale. Approximately 3,000 women served as nurses for the Union Army during the war. Legendary nurse and founder of the Red Cross Clara Barton even received a special “military pass” that permitted her to travel directly onto the battlefield, where she drove her medical wagons straight into the fray to tend to wounded soldiers. Fellow trailblazer Dorothea Dix was even appointed superintendent of the United States Army Nurses for the Union Army, leading her own “army of nurses” over the course of the war. Dix is remembered for pushing for high standards of behavior and training among her nurses, as well as providing ample opportunities for female nurses working in support of the military.

Meanwhile, some women even marched on the battlefields. Historians estimate that about 1,000 women disguised themselves as men and fought on both sides of the Civil War.

World War I

The 20th century changed everything for women in the military.

At the onset of the United States’ entry into World War I in April 1917, the U.S. Army Nurse Corps (ANC) – formally established in 1901 – had only officially been in existence for less than 20 years, and only had 403 nurses in its active-duty ranks. By June 1918, just over a year later, there were more than 3,000 American nurses deployed to British-operated hospitals in France. These nurses often worked in dangerous conditions near the front lines, caring for service members and civilians alike, and ensuring the health and safety of Allied troops.

Photo credit Library of Congress

American nurses care for injured soldiers in France in 1918.

However, WWI is also notable because it was the first time women – who did not yet have the right to vote – were allowed to openly serve in the U.S. military.

With large numbers of American men being sent to war overseas, the Armed Forces – and the U.S. Navy in particular – needed stateside replacements for the roles that were left behind. After finding a loophole in a naval act that would allow women to serve in non-commissioned officer and non-combat roles, the Navy enlisted its first “yeomanettes.” Around 12,000 women served in the rank of yeoman, mostly working clerical duties, as well as telephone and radio operators and translators.

Photo credit National World War I Museum and Memorial

Telephone operators – also known as “Hello Girls” – in the U.S. Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit are pictured here working 3 kilometers from the trenches in France. Helmets and gas masks can be seen in their bags on the backs of their chairs.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Signal Corps enlisted women to work as telephone and switchboard operators. These women – nicknamed the “Hello Girls” – often worked very close to the front lines in France. They would not be recognized for their high-pressure work or their status as veterans until decades later, in 1979.

Then, only a few years after the War to End All Wars, World War II broke out and women’s roles continued to evolve with the rest of society.

World War II

WWII created an unprecedented need for service members. As more than 16 million Americans stepped up to serve on the front lines – the majority of those being men – the U.S. military was left with many non-combat roles that needed to be filled. So, the women of the United States stepped up too, and for the first time in history, all branches of the military enlisted women in their ranks.

Army: The Army formed the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs), which was later renamed and restructured to form the active duty Women’s Army Corps (WACS). The branch also formed the Army’s Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS).

Navy: The Navy formed the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES).

Marine Corps: The Marines enlisted women in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.

Coast Guard: The Coast Guard formed the Women’s Reserve (SPARS), which stood for the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus – “Always Ready.”

In total, nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform during World War II.

These women took on non-combat roles in order to free up more men to fight. They continued to work clerical jobs as they did during World War I, but they also drove vehicles, repaired airplanes, worked in laboratories and cryptology, served as radio and telephone operators, rigged parachutes, test-flew planes and even trained their male counterparts in air combat tactics.

Photo credit U.S. Air Force

WACS at Bolling Field use a theodolite to obtain data on upper air flow of a balloon.

Women also served as nurses. 57,000 served in the Army Nurse Corps and 11,000 in the Navy Nurse Corps – and these roles were not without risk. Many of these women worked right on the front lines and came under enemy fire, and some even won combat decorations. Army Col. Ruby Bradley, a nurse in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, was kept prisoner at an internment camp in the Philippines for 37 months, during which she remained steadfast in her calling as a nurse. She performed 230 major surgeries and delivered 13 babies during her time as a prisoner of war (POW), even under harsh conditions. In total, 432 women were killed in the line of service during World War II and 88 were taken as POWs.

Photo credit U.S. Army

In England in early 1945, WACS Maj. Charity E. Adams and Capt. Abbie N. Campbell inspect the first contingent of Black members of the Women’s Army Corps assigned to overseas service.

True to societal norms at the time, all branches emphasized the expectation of femininity within the ranks of women in the military throughout the war. Uniforms included skirts, not slacks, and nail polish, makeup and feminine hairstyles were not only allowed, but encouraged. But beyond this focus on femininity, these women were finally recognized as vital, enlisted members of the Armed Forces.

Photo credit National Archives and Records Administration

Two members of the Navy’s WAVES work on the engine of a North American T-6 Texan plane at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1943.

They risked their lives and were integral to American success in the war, and through it all, they faced challenges in navigating their new roles and overcoming discrimination in a male-dominated arena. After the war, many of these women would return home, hoping to continue their military career, only to find themselves pushed out of their roles so that the men returning from war could have them. Some women would struggle for decades to obtain veteran status or benefits for their service during WWII.

But because of their perseverance and dedication to service throughout the war, they helped pave the way for women in the military who would come after them.

Korean War

In 1948, three years after the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law, officially allowing women to serve as full, permanent members of all branches of the Armed Forces.

However, this was not a guarantee of equal opportunity. The act actually restricted the number of women who could serve to only 2% of each branch, and also limited how many women could become officers. Additionally, female service members could be automatically discharged if they became pregnant, and they were unable to command men or serve in combat positions.

But regardless of the obstacles that remained in female service members’ paths, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was still a step toward progress for women in the military. One month after the act’s passing, President Truman issued the Integration of the Armed Forces executive order, desegregating the military and ensuring that Black women could now serve equally in all branches of the military as well.

Photo credit National Archives and Records Administration

Medical personnel – including Army nurses – of the 8225th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) with a H-13 helicopter in Korea in 1951.

And serve they did. Just two years later, the Korean War broke out, and 120,000 women would go on to serve in active duty positions from 1950-1953. Although they could not serve in combat, they undertook new roles such as military police officers or engineers.

Military nurses would also continue to play a critical role during this time. Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) were heavily used during the Korean War, providing fully functioning hospitals in combat zones, where many nurses worked.

Just a few years later in the Vietnam War, these nurses would be called to the front lines once again.

Vietnam War

Approximately 11,000 women were stationed in Vietnam during the nearly 20-year war, and 90% of them were nurses in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Notably, most volunteered to go.

Photo credit U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy nurse Lt. Cmdr. Joan Brouilette checks the condition of a service member as she makes her daily rounds of the intensive care ward at the United States Naval Support Activity Hospital in Da Nang, South Vietnam in 1968.

During the Vietnam War, other female service members worked as air traffic controllers, intelligence officers and clerks – both at home and in Vietnam. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened promotions for women to general and flag ranks and in 1972, women were allowed to command units that included men.

Photo credit Department of Defense (DoD)

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened promotions to women to general and flag ranks.

The U.S.’ involvement in the Vietnam War came to a close in 1973 and two years later, the Pentagon announced that pregnant women could remain in the military.

The 80s, 90s and Today

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, there were a lot of “firsts” for women in the military: the first woman to become a Navy fighter pilot; the first female four-star general in the Army; and the first female rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard, among others.

Photo credit U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

Cmdr. Rosemary B. Mariner, pictured in her A-7E at Naval Air Station, Lemoore, Calif. Mariner was one of the first six women to become a Naval aviator, and the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron.

There was even the first Silver Star awarded to a female soldier since World War II. Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the military medal in recognition of her brave actions during an enemy ambush on her supply convoy in Iraq in 2005. She is also the first woman to ever receive the Silver Star for direct combat action.

Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester after receiving her Silver Star medal during a military awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq, in June 2005. | Photo credit U.S. Army/Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp

But it was not just the “firsts” that were impressive in these more recent years.

As more women broke through barriers and established themselves as capable service members working in defense of the nation, the list of “firsts” slowly became less noteworthy in comparison to the sheer number of women serving, as well as their significant contributions to their respective branches.

In the Gulf War, from just 1990-1991, more than 40,000 women deployed to combat zones, although they still could not technically serve in direct combat roles or assignments.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton rescinded the “Risk Rule,” essentially allowing women to serve in all positions in the military except for direct ground combat roles. This allowed for many more women to still engage in combat as aviators, sailors, Air Force personnel and other roles.

Photo credit U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Steve Cortez

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley congratulates Capt. Kristen Griest and U.S. Army Ranger School Class 08-15 during graduation at Fort Benning, Georgia on Aug. 21, 2015. Griest and class member 1st Lt. Shaye Haver became the first female graduates of the school.

Then, in 2013, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the ban on women in combat would be lifted entirely, and that female service members would be allowed to serve in direct ground combat roles. In 2015, this was put into action. This historic change opened up hundreds of thousands of jobs for women in the military and essentially ensured that as long as female service members completed the necessary training and requirements, they could now serve in almost any role in the U.S. Armed Forces.

U.S. Marine Corps Female Engagement Team members clear a hallway during military operations in urban terrain training in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January 2021. The team is comprised of all-female volunteers who work specifically with women and partnered forces to build trust and beneficial relationships while respecting cultural boundaries and customs. | Photo credit U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Andrew Skiver

Since the opening of combat positions to women, several female service members have trained to step into these new roles. Over the past seven years, 100 women have graduated from the Army’s Ranger School and others have successfully completed Navy SEAL officer assessment and selection, proving their capabilities in even the most rigorous and challenging of assignments.

Women continue to make history in the military today, pushing boundaries and taking on more roles – and more prestigious roles – than ever before. More than 300,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, more than 9,000 have earned Combat Action Badges and today, women make up 16% of our nation’s Armed Forces, serving in every branch of the U.S. military.

USO Support of Women in the Military

The USO has supported women in the military since our organization was first founded in 1941 and women first began serving in the Armed Forces.

The first USO centers of World War II initially included separate, private rooms within the centers for female service members only, so that the WACs, WAVES and SPARs (as they were referred to in their respective branches) could have a place of respite all to themselves. Eventually, the USO opened USO Service Women’s Clubs, which were built entirely for female service members and included special programming for women.

Photo credit USO Photo

Female service members in a USO lounge in Iowa in 1942.

Following the end of World War II, the U.S. military – and the USO – was forever changed. Women were now a crucial part of the nation’s Armed Forces, which meant that they were also a core part of the military community that the USO supports.

In the decades since, women have fought for the right to serve while pregnant, hold pilot roles, lead majority-male units, fight in combat and much, much more. Today, women serve in more roles – and in more prestigious roles – than ever before, and the USO is there at every step of their service journey.

From being there as a place to rest at the airport before they fly to basic training; to handing them a USO Care Package filled with female-specific hygiene items when they deploy overseas; to hosting a women’s-only event on the front lines of the Middle East; to inviting them to a USO Special Delivery baby shower when they are far from their support networks; to offering them a way to connect with their kids back home through the USO Reading Program; to helping them discover their next step as they leave the military with the USO Pathfinder® Transition Program, women in the military can always turn to the USO.

DeSimone, Danielle. “Over 200 Years of Service: The History of Women in the U.S. Military.” United Service Organizations, The USO, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.uso.org/stories/3005-over-200-years-of-service-the-history-of-women-in-the-us-military.

[nakeddeparture]

Celebrating (the late) Margaret Lorde and Corbin Besson, 24.

https://youtu.be/ynla8AZNbR4

Margaret was here. Naked!!