Why Classroom History Books Should Be Updated with Newly Uncovered Women’s History

It is great to see more heroic women figures in today’s modern stories.  When it comes to history we resort to fictional characters because we are at a loss for authentic material except for the few patriotic women entered into every grammar school history book for a over a century of public schooling.  How many of us have heard the story of Betsy Ross or Molly Pitcher. Now more than ever, it important to know the past contributions of women and their actual involvement on the battlefield since this year the US lifted a ban on women in combat. Are the problems confronted by women in combat a new modern day issue that is unique to American history? 

Being a member of the American Association of University of Women – AAUW has given me a history lesson from a “her-story” perspective.  Since we advocate for empowerment of women and girls you really need to know your history about women.  Fortunately, we have women in our organization that are like history archeologist and have discovered that there is a long history of US women in combat starting with the American Revolution.  However, women were not permitted to enlist in battle as armed soldiers.  So, they enlisted as men and many got away with their disguise. These women are now making their way into the best seller non-fiction books and are inspiring the movies and TV screenwriters for today’s popular hits. So why not inspire our classrooms with these stories?

It is time that we address the real history of American women so that the importance of what women have accomplished on the battlefield can become great nonfictional stories that encourages the greater public.  The recent lecture AAUW-NJ presented in Sparta helped to educate us on what was missing in or school history books.

 http://hopatcong-sparta.patch.com/announcements/aauw-nj-lectures-on-the-lost-us-history-of-women-in-combat-to-njs-north-west-areas-starting-with-sparta

This lecture taught me that women not only fought in battle dressed as men but, they achieved high rank in the military where they made strategic battle plans and commanded soldiers on the battlefields of both the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Knowing this history might help to address the importance of laws that promote an environment for our military women free from sexual assault and violence such as the  Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention (STOP) Act (H.R. 1593).  By showing the big contributions women can add to our military through history books, maybe we can affect a profound influence on our image of what and who the perfect US soldier is.