The next time you wear blue jeans or use a stir-fry pan, thank these entrepreneurial women.
Here’s a look at eight game-changers for Women’s History Month
by By Kristen Wong for The Story Exchange
photo: Annie Easley was hired by NASA to be a human computer. Her contributions have led in part to the development of hybrid cars.
Most posts on The Story Exchange feature modern-day female entrepreneurs, but what about historic women whose startup stories have been forgotten — or were never really known in the first place? From postmasters to fashion designers, chefs to computer programmers, these diverse and successful women deserve to be celebrated for their accomplishments. We honor 8 women who changed the world!
In honor of Women’s History Month, here are 8 of their stories.
1. The Woman Who Planted Indigo: Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722-1793)
Thank This Woman For: Your Blue Jeans
Every U.S. history textbook ever printed probably includes the words “Eli Whitney” and “cotton gin” in the Industrial Revolution section. But what about “Eliza Pinckney” and “the first successful indigo cultivation that built a multimillion-dollar cash crop industry”?
When most girls her age were preparing for marriage, 16-year-old Pinckney was managing three slave plantations in South Carolina. Determined to reduce her family’s debt, she tried growing ginger, alfalfa and other experimental crops to little success. Then, in 1739, she planted the first North American indigo plant, which was used to dye textile fabrics in England’s mills. With the help of her father’s connections, Pinckney learned how to successfully grow, cultivate, and export indigo. By 1775, South Carolina was exporting over 1 million pounds of indigo annually, with a present-day value of over $30 million.
Fun Fact: George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.
2. The Woman Who Published the Declaration: Mary Katherine Goddard (1738-1816)
Thank This Woman for: Your Independence
