We Cannot be Tame Spectators: Four Centuries of Virginia Women's History

From before Jamestown to our own new millennium, women have been central figures in the families and communities of the Old Dominion. In recent decades, historians have also shown that Virginia women—as civic leaders and reformers, genteel ladies and embattled laborers—were also significant historical actors. Cynthia A. Kierner joined the VMHC in commemorating Women’s History Month in 2014 by celebrating the flourishing field of Virginia women’s history, and by exploring how what we’ve learned about women’s historical experiences can transform our understanding of Virginia history generally.

Cynthia A. Kierner teaches history at George Mason University. She is the author of numerous books, including Martha Jefferson Randolph: Daughter of Monticello and, most recently, co-author with Jennifer R. Loux and Megan Taylor Shockley of Changing History: Virginia Women Through Four Centuries.

The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

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