Fun Fact File: Women in History

Pioneer women faced hard winters, few supplies, and loneliness once they settled on the American frontier. That doesn't even account for the months-long journey to their new home. During the mid-1800s, hundreds of thousands of Americans moved west as the United States expanded. From the women settling in Ohio to those striking out on their own during the California gold rush, pioneer women were a strong, courageous group. In this volume, readers encounter fun, surprising facts about pioneer women's unique place in history. Historical images enhance this fun spin on an often overlooked era of women's history.

Many people know that some Native American tribes are matrilineal. That means that historically, women had power in governance and some control in her home life. For the European patriarchs that came to North America, that was quite a shock! Through short, surprising, and often amusing facts, readers learn the role of Native American women in their tribes. Including tribes from across North America, the main content emphasizes their daily lives, clothing, and marriage customs, and introduces important female figures in history. A colorful layout and full-color photographs showcase the power of the Native American woman, a power that still resonates today.

Colonial women often had one goal as they grew up: to get married. They often married young and not commonly for love. Though their lives were full of hardship and hard work, they lived during interesting times! Fun, surprising, and silly facts engage readers in the lives of women during the colonial era. From plantation owners' wives to indentured servants, the women in the colonies had varied duties and experiences that readers will find fascinating and enjoyable in this format. Colorful photographs and historical images enhance this playful perspective on history and the social studies curriculum.

In recent years, scholars have taken a closer look at the women of the ancient world and found poets, landowners, athletes, and more-not just wives. However, for most women, their household was their domain and their husband their master. Readers learn about both perspectives in an engaging format of fun facts, as well as about famous women in power, important goddesses, and many other interesting details of the time period. Historical images of women in ancient Greece and Rome and full-color photographs of the places they lived enhance curriculum-supporting content and graphic organizers that further explore important concepts.

During the Middle Ages, women often did backbreaking work. Whether they were weaving their own cloth to make clothing or helping their husbands in the fields, medieval women worked hard-and so, often didn't live past age 40! Fascinating facts like this engage readers with women's lives during an important historical period. Full-color photographs and historical images illustrate the daily life of both peasants and noblewomen, as readers are introduced to Fiery Joanna, Joan of Arc, and other powerful, role-challenging women of the Middle Ages.

Women in ancient Egypt weren't that unlike women today. They wore makeup, had their hair done, and even enjoyed near equality with men. In this volume, surprising and amusing facts about the women of ancient Egypt give readers a new perspective on a noteworthy historical era. Full-color photographs include images of ancient Egyptian paintings and other primary sources showing how the Egyptians themselves portrayed women. The main content's format, along with detailed graphic organizers, engages readers with the social studies curriculum in a fun, high-interest way.