Are there any women who would make the list of 100 most important Americans?

Question

My husband and I were discussing this and we could not come up with a single woman to include on a "top 100" list. I think this is partly because of the discrimination women faced throughought American History, but I don't know if this is the whole answer.

We considered people like Gloria Steinheim and Susan B. Anthony, but they didn't make the cut. We also looked at women such as Abigail Adams and Martha Washington, but their contributions were in support roles.

The top 100 list would probably feature people in Politics (heavy emphasis on Presidents), business, science, and inventions. "Lifestyle" personalities such as actors and athletes probably wouldn't make the list unless they crossed real barriers.

This is something we've been tossing around for a few days and I thought I'd open it up to the Yahoo! Answers community.

Answer 1

Alright, I'm going to say no, even though I would love for there to be some women in the top 100. But for me it's a matter of mathematics. There's just simply not enough women in the pool yet to make the top 100.

I also kind of feel that a lot of the women we hold up as examples are really just kind of "feel good" nominations. I'm sure that will change as time marches on, we're a relatively young country.

I have to agree with Tech_ed as well though. For every man in that top 100, you can bet he had a woman behind him that influenced him tremendously.

Answer 2

What's important to understand, and few unmarried men do, is that the support position Women play is usually more important than the figure head man that the woman is supporting!
Through out the ages, and across many countries, it is an unspoken truth that women, not men, control all that is important in this world. This universal given in evidenced in history dating beyond the birth of christ to modern day. Would Regan have been as good a president if his wife wasn't there to guide him in to the correct path?
It is only when male leaders are without strong women supporting them, that evidence of poor leadership is shown. Look at Henry the 8th...
I believe that instead of looking for the most important woman as a front-man (pardon the pun), you need to recognize the strength of women in history as the supporting role, and the true leader of man...Remember the saying...for every great man, there is a great woman behind him...
Ed
web/gadget guru

Answer 3

Pocahantas
Clara Barton
Amelia Earhart
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Betsy Ross
Perle Mesta

Answer 4

Sandra Day o'Connor - Supreme Court
Babe Zaharis - Athlete
Madeline Albright - Secretary of State
Janet Reno - Attorney General
Rosa Parks - Civil Rights Pioneer

100 is a pretty elite # and most of these are marginal but surely Rosa got a Major American movement underway.

Answer 5

Tough question.
How about Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood? I don't know if she'd make it, but she is an iconic birth control advocate who popularized the whole idea of using birth control. This is important because use of birth control has revolutionized our society by allowing women sexual liberation and more importantly the ability to forgo having numerous children thus allowing women to have careers. It has also changed how the American population grows and its make up.

Answer 6

Sandra Day O'Connor
Harriet Tubman
Grace Hopper
Madam C.J. Walker
Eleanor Roosevelt
Margaret Sanger

All these women have contributed to our Country.

Answer 7

Elenor Roosevelt. I mean, come on, she did so much. I don't know much about her, but she should be in the top fifty most important Americans. She went above and beyond the support role as first lady. She was very important in the early years of the U.N. (google her)

Answer 8

Susan B. Anthony would be on my list. Considering she fought to secure basic liberties for half of American citizens as well as her overlooked work for civil rights, property rights and education in this country.
As well as the already mentioned- E. Roosevelt and Harriet Tubman.
as well as
Clara Barton-founder of the Red Cross.
Maria Mayer -scientist and Nobel peace prize winner for figuring out magic number model for atom and discovery in the separation of isotopes oif Uranium need for creating an atom bomb during WW2
Rachel Carson- Wildlife researcher that became pioneering environmentalist and activist. informing America of DDT pesticide health dangers was just one thing she did. .
Sojourner Truth-Civil rights activist-anti-slavery & anti-lynching, Woman's rights activist.

Answer 9

This is America. No one is more "Important" than another, man or woman. but you are right, most of the Influential people have been men.

Answer 10

you don't list what your rules are for the women to be important enough to make your list--- support roles are very important - without support, life as we know would certainly look a lot different....