Can you guess how many women were members of Congress for the first 128 years the United States was a country?
Not one!
It was not until 1917 that a woman was elected to the House of Representatives. Do you know how many serve today?
A Woman in the House (and Senate), the latest from March's Author of the Month Ilene Cooper, takes an in-depth look at the history of women in politics, from the very first woman to elected to the House to the first woman to be speaker of the House and third in line to be president. Women have come a long way when it comes to politics!
Questions and Activities
- What is the difference between the House of Representatives, the Senate and Congress?
- Who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives?
- Rebecca Felton was the first female senator; why did she only serve for one day?
- Who was the first woman elected to the Senate?
- Who were the first woman of color and the first African American woman elected to the House?
- Who was the first African American woman elected to the Senate? (Hint: She was from Illinois.)
- Who was the first female speaker of the House?
- How many women currently serve in Congress?
- To date, 313 women have been members of Congress; whose your favorite?
Learn more about this month's Author of the Month in our Q&A with Cooper about her writing process.
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