March is Women’s History Month, and with each new year comes new milestones and movements. This March we can look forward to a new Virginia Women’s Monument coming to Richmond in 2019, while looking back at some of Virginia’s most influential females.
The monument, titled Voices from the Garden, will be built in Richmond’s Capitol Square to commemorate the contributions of the women of Virginia, the first of its kind that will recognize a range of women’s achievements in America over the past 400 years.
A Legacy Project for American Evolution™ (commemorating the 400th anniversary of several key historical events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today), Voices from the Garden will share the untold stories of 12 Virginia women and their achievements during their varying time periods: Ann Burras Laydon, one of the first two females who arrived in Jamestown in 1608; Cockacoeske, a Pamunkey chief who signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation in 1677; Mary Draper Ingles, who was taken captive by Shawnee Indians during the French and Indian War, escaped and established the Ingles Ferry; Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, the first woman to hold the position as First Lady during George Washington’s presidency; Clementina Bird Rind, who took over the editorship and management of the Virginia Gazette after the death of her husband; Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, a slave who bought her freedom and later established the Contraband Relief Association; Sally Louisa Tompkins, who established Robertson Hospital in Richmond to treat wounded soldiers when few, if any, women held the top administrative position; Maggie L. Walker, the first woman to charter a bank in the United States; Sarah G. Boyd Jones, one of the first women to pass the Virginia Medical Examining Board’s examination and helped found a medical association for African-American doctors; Laura Lu Copenhaver, who expanded southwestern Virginia’s agricultural economy; Virginia Estelle Randolph, who developed a nationally-recognized approach to education; and Adele Goodman Clark, an active suffragist who became president of the League of Women Voters in 1921.
Visit AmericanEvolution2019.com to stay updated on this and other Legacy Projects for American Evolution.
Angela Blue
Angela Blue has served as editor-in-chief for multiple lifestyle publications and copy editor for several cultural institutions and nonprofits. A seasoned writer, she enjoys sharing stories that spark curiosity and build connections. Angela lives in Norfolk with her husband and two kids and enjoys reading, running, cooking, and spending time on the Lafayette River.
