Browse Items (373 total)

At a time when women had few rights, Ann Makemie Holden managed her large plantation on the Eastern Shore and strove to uphold the ideals of the American Revolution.

Accomack County

Captured by Shawnee Indians in 1755, Mary Draper Ingles escaped and made her way hundreds of miles to return home.

New River Valley

Martha Washington was her husband's confidant and established the public role of First Lady after his election as president.

Fairfax County

Philanthropist Grace Arents supported a variety of educational and public health programs and bequeathed her estate to become a botanic garden.

Richmond

Best-selling author Mary Johnston was a leader in the fight for woman suffrage in Virginia.

Chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Clara Adams-Ender was the first African American woman to command a major army base.

Prince William County

As a high school student in Farmville, Barbara Johns challenged school segregation.

Prince Edward County

A gifted storyteller, Lee Smith highlights the stories and voices of the Appalachian community where she was raised.

Roanoke

As a teenager, Caitlyn Day initiated a successful community effort to establish the Craig County Public Library.

Craig County

After learning about her Monacan heritage, Mary Belvin Wade became an outspoken advocate for Virginia's Indian tribes.

Richmond