Norah O’Donnell spotlights overlooked women who shaped US history in ‘We the Women’

Amna Nawaz:

America’s 250-year history options outstanding males who constructed and shaped the nation, however much less is understood about the women whose contributions have been simply as essential.

In her new e-book, “We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America,” Norah O’Donnell writes about 35 exceptional women, every of whom performed pivotal roles in influencing the nation we dwell in at the moment.

I spoke with Norah just lately, and I started by asking her why these tales wanted to be informed.

Norah O’Donnell, Author, “We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America”: The reality is, a whole lot of women’s tales have been misplaced to history as a result of historians and others did not suppose they have been essential sufficient to avoid wasting, fairly frankly.

So in uncovering and excavating these nice tales, I discovered myself to be kind of impressed by these women, as a result of they have been courageous, brave, gutsy, patriotic. And I additionally surprise how a lot my very own sense of self would have modified as a younger woman had I realized about these tales.

And, look, that is not simply my impression. In researching this e-book, the National Women’s History Museum says 15 p.c of what we study in faculty focuses on the achievements and accomplishments of women.

Amna Nawaz:

Wow.

Norah O’Donnell:

That has to alter. It’s not that women weren’t doing stuff. They have been doing a lot. It’s simply we have not highlighted their tales.

Amna Nawaz:

Well, the e-book is an efficient place to begin for some concepts we needs to be studying extra about.

I need to contact on just some so the people get a sampling of what is in right here. There are some acquainted names clearly folks will acknowledge, Eleanor Roosevelt and Patsy Mink, a whole lot of names I used to be studying about for the first time as nicely.

Mercy Otis Warren, you write about her, the mental, a author, historian. She spent many years crafting a multi-volume history about the American Revolution. And then John Adams dismissed her, saying: “History is not the province of the ladies.”

Why is her story essential to know?

Norah O’Donnell:

Mercy Otis Warren is named the first woman of the American Revolution. And she appears at the Constitution, what John Adams is doing, and he or she’s an anti-federalist.

She says an excessive amount of energy in the federal authorities. We must focus extra on particular person liberties, Mercy Otis Warren, a Jeffersonian Republican, and therefore turns into the secret muse of the Bill of Rights. I imply, she was praised by all of the main males of that period, and but John Adams did not like that she criticized him for having an excessive amount of energy in the federal authorities, the Constitution.

So he mentioned, by the approach, history shouldn’t be the province of women. But I believe her story is so essential as a result of it isn’t that she did not matter in the time interval she did. It’s that these of us in the previous 250 years did not suppose that her story was essential sufficient to be in our textbooks.

Amna Nawaz:

You write about Charlotte Forten, the abolitionist whose journals, as you write, supply a uncommon glimpse into the lifetime of a free Black lady in the antebellum North.

What ought to we learn about her?

Norah O’Donnell:

Well, the Forten household of Philadelphia is certainly one of the most essential households of all time in Philadelphia, free household, owned a sail-making firm, very rich.

But what’s actually noteworthy about Charlotte is she stored a diary. And so historians at the moment mentioned, that is actually the solely recording of we now have of a free Black lady in the antebellum North. She was writing throughout the Civil War, after which she went south to show. And so her writings are thought-about so essential to know what that interval was like in time.

And why her story is essential is as a result of it is emblematic of all issues. Women’s letters weren’t stored, women’s diaries weren’t stored, issues that they wrote about, as a result of they weren’t thought-about essential. And that is why the examine of women’s history additionally, I believe, has been uncared for as a result of a whole lot of the materials has actually been misplaced to history. It’s been burned or discarded.

Amna Nawaz:

There was a narrative of a girl, I’ve actually by no means heard her identify earlier than, and it fascinated me, partly as a result of the picture you embody in the story is so placing.

She’s the very first Native American lady to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery after her dying in 1938 Zitkala-Sa, a member of the Yankton Sioux Nation, inform us about her.

Norah O’Donnell:

Well, Zitkala-Sa as a younger woman was taken from her reservation, educated in these boarding faculties, well-known author, composer, nice mental, gained these oratory contests.

But what’s notable about Zitkala-Sa is that she was advocating for the rights of indigenous folks, for his or her citizenship in America, and he or she tied the Declaration of Independence and the very beliefs that each one males are created equal and mentioned, why does this not apply to indigenous folks?

And I believe, Amna, that’s — her story is so essential as a result of that’s the story of America. All all through history, teams have been saying, let’s dwell as much as the beliefs which can be in the Declaration of Independence, these essential phrases, we maintain these truths to be self-evident that each one males are created equal.

Abolitionists mentioned, why would not that apply to Black folks or African American folks? Suffragists mentioned, why is not all of it males and women which can be created equal? And that is actually why the examine of history is so essential, I believe, and in addition remembering what number of these women have been at the heart of each nice ethical and political wrestle in American history.

Amna Nawaz:

While I’ve you right here, I do need to ask about your present journalism house at CBS. I’d be remiss if I did not, as a result of you realize it has been the topic of a whole lot of questions and scrutiny, below new management.

You have seen some headlines about departures and producers expressing considerations a few tradition of concern and uncertainty. How ought to folks on the exterior, studying all of this, have a look at this? Do you suppose these considerations are overblown? Do you share any of these considerations?

Norah O’Donnell:

I imply, look, it’s a very robust time in the media trade, and it is a robust time, I believe, for journalists.

Do I believe that some of what’s written is overblown? I do, really. Gone. I imply, you may — what I do is, I give attention to my work. I can not management what’s occurring at the company degree in any respect, however I can management what I do every single day. I just lately did an interview with President Trump for “60 Minutes.”

I felt no strain journalistically. That did not exist for me. So — and that was the identical “60 Minutes” workforce that I labored on with the pope and with my interviews with Joe Biden. So issues haven’t modified for me personally in phrases of my work, and I simply give attention to constructing belief, my very own private integrity, and doing the onerous work that must be executed, as a result of, consider me, our job is extra essential than ever.

Amna Nawaz:

Well, the new e-book is out now. It’s referred to as “We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America.” The creator is Norah O’Donnell.

Norah, nice to see you. Thanks for being right here.

Norah O’Donnell:

Thank you. Thank you.