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It’s no surprise that many essential household innovations, such as the dishwasher (invented by Josephine Garis Cochran in 1893), the foot-pedal trash can (created by Lillian Moller Gilbreth, who is also known as the mother in Cheaper by the Dozen), and an early version of the disposable diaper (introduced by Marion Donovan in the 1950s), were the result of women's ingenuity.
From the earliest days of the United States, women have contributed in countless, often overlooked ways—big and small—that continue to improve our lives, entertain us, enrich our culture, and save lives. Here are ten women whose influence you’ve felt, even if their names remain unfamiliar.
10. The Declaration of Independence
While Thomas Jefferson is often credited with drafting those famous words, no woman stood by his side in the process. By mid-July 1776, the text of the Declaration of Independence was circulating in colonial newspapers. Yet, it wasn't until January of the following year—after George Washington’s victory at Trenton—that the Continental Congress dared to release the first edition, naming those rebels who had signed it. They began printing official copies for distribution, and beneath the names of John Hancock, John Adams, Josiah Bartlett, and other signatories, the declaration boldly stated: 'Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard.'
After her time publishing the Providence Gazette in Rhode Island and the Pennsylvania Chronicle in Philadelphia, Goddard (1738-1816) took charge of the Maryland Journal in 1774. In the lead-up to the American Revolution, she covered its early battles, reprinted Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and urged women to boycott British goods. She became the postmaster of Baltimore in October 1775, holding the role until 1789, potentially making her the first female federal employee of the new nation.
9. Paper Bags
Not all innovations need to be world-changing to make an impact on daily life. If you've ever chosen 'paper' over 'plastic,' Margaret E. Knight (1838-1914) is the one to thank. After losing her father at twelve, she worked at a textile mill in Manchester, New Hampshire. Within a year, she created a system to prevent loom shuttles from flying off and hurting the weavers. Later, at the Columbia Paper Bag company, she worked to automate the production of flat-bottom paper bags, creating a machine that could feed, cut, fold, and form the bag's squared bottom.
Having not profited from her earlier loom invention, Knight took the rare step of applying for a patent—a bold move for a woman in her time. When a man tried to claim credit for her machine, arguing that a woman could not have possibly designed it, Knight presented detailed blueprints to defend her work, while he had nothing to offer in response. She won the case and was granted her patent in 1871. Knight went on to establish the Eastern Paper Bag Company in Hartford, Connecticut, and received patents for at least twenty-six more inventions.
8. “America the Beautiful”
Katharine Lee Bates (1858-1929), an English professor at Wellesley College near Boston, embarked on a cross-country train journey to Colorado Springs for a summer teaching assignment in 1893. During the trip, she visited the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where the stunning White City fairgrounds inspired her to describe them as 'alabaster cities.' While in the West, Bates and other professors traveled by wagon to the top of Pike’s Peak. As she later recalled, 'It was then and there, as I was looking out over the seas-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies, that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind.'
Bates’ poem, titled 'Pike’s Peak,' was published in the weekly newspaper The Congregationalist on July 4, 1895. The only compensation she received for the work was a small check, despite the fact that her words were set to music many times afterward. While few may live in Bates Dorm at Wellesley College or visit the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum where her bronze statue faces Pike’s Peak, nearly everyone knows the first verse of her iconic hymn.
7. Medical Syringe
In recent times, we’ve all become too familiar with receiving shots. At its core, a syringe consists of a plunger that fits snugly inside a cylindrical tube. The plunger moves along the tube, enabling the syringe to either draw in or expel liquid or gas through the opening at the tube’s end. This end may be equipped with a hypodermic needle, a nozzle, or tubing to help direct the flow in and out of the tube.
Syringes, in a form somewhat different from what we use today, have existed since ancient Greece and Rome. They were originally used to apply ointments and creams to the skin, not to inject medicine. They are mentioned in the journal De Medicina as tools for treating medical issues. Later, in the 9th century AD, an Egyptian surgeon developed a syringe using a hollow glass tube and suction. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that syringes evolved into their modern form, featuring the hypodermic needle.
The first concepts for a syringe with a needle thin enough to penetrate the skin date back to 1844. However, these early devices, which were operated by a plunger or screw, were bulky and needed both hands to function. In 1899, nurse Letitia Mumford Geer (1852-1935) revolutionized the medical field with her patent for a smaller syringe that could be operated with one hand, making it more accessible to healthcare workers and even patients. Although little is known about her personal life, Geer's innovation remains a crucial part of modern healthcare.
Monopoly
In 1904, Elizabeth "Lizzie" J. Magie (1866-1948), working as a secretary, received a patent for The Landlord's Game. Players rolled dice and landed on spaces with different rent and purchase costs, as well as locations like Water Franchise, Light Franchise, four railroads, and Public Parking. Every time players passed the square labeled "Labor Upon Mother Earth Produces Wages," they earned $100. Does that sound familiar?
Magie’s revised 1924 patent for the game featured properties with increasing values, such as Lonely Lane, Rickety Row, Progress Park, and Easy Street. She included a message that the game was not just for fun but was designed to show the unfair financial advantages enjoyed by "greedy landlords."
Magie’s game had been in circulation for years before Charles Darrow played it on a board with names of Atlantic City properties. In 1935, Darrow sold his version of the game to Parker Brothers, falsely claiming, "being unemployed at the time, and badly needing anything to occupy my time, I made by hand a very crude game for the sole purpose of amusing myself."
In the first two years, over two million copies of the game sold, and Darrow earned a fortune in royalties. Meanwhile, in 1935, Lizzie Magie Phillips, now married to a successful businessman, sold her patent to Parker Brothers for a mere $500, hoping the game would reach a broader audience and spread her message about economic inequality. Instead, Monopoly became a vehicle for teaching children that greed is good. Interestingly, in the 1970s, Magie Phillips' perspective resurfaced during a legal battle over a competing game: Anti-Monopoly.
Kevlar
Kevlar, most famously known for its use in bulletproof vests, was discovered by Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923-2014) during research aimed at developing a lightweight material for tires to improve fuel efficiency. Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Kwolek developed a passion for fabrics from her mother and a fascination with science from her father. After graduating from Margaret Morrison Carnegie College with a degree in chemistry in 1946, she worked as a chemist in a DuPont lab to save for medical school, where she would eventually spend her entire career.
In 1965, while experimenting with materials, Kwolek created a cloudy solution that, when spun, turned into a heat-resistant fiber five times stronger than steel yet incredibly lightweight. Today, Kevlar is used in a wide array of products, from helmets to brake pads, in addition to its life-saving role in body armor. Though she received numerous awards and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Kwolek, who had once aspired to be a doctor, reflected on her discovery by saying, "I don’t think there’s anything like saving someone’s life to bring you satisfaction and happiness."
3D Movies
If you've ever found yourself ducking in your theater seat as an object seemed to be coming straight at you, you can thank Valerie Thomas (1943–). Despite not being encouraged to pursue science in her youth, she earned a degree in physics from Morgan State University, where she was one of only two women in her class. After graduation, she began her career at NASA as a data analyst and mathematician, continuing her work there until her retirement in 1995.
In addition to her role in the Landsat program, which takes satellite images of Earth, Thomas invented an 'illusion transmitter.' This device employs two curved mirrors and a camera to reflect an image from two different angles, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality in the brain. While not the first 3D technology, Thomas patented her simple yet unique invention in 1980.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Marian R. Croak (1955-) obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1982 and began working at AT&T’s Bell Laboratory. In the 1990s, her pioneering efforts reshaped how we communicate, with over one hundred patents related to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies.
VoIP is the electronic innovation behind video calls and has enabled millions of activities, from voting on American Idol to texting donations to charity. In 2022, Croak was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, becoming only the second Black woman to receive this honor, alongside the late Dr. Bath.
Laser Photoablative Cataract Surgery
Though it's not commonly recognized by its technical name, Laserphaco Probe, this procedure has likely helped someone you know regain their sight. Patricia Era Bath (1942-2019), a graduate of Howard Medical School, was already known for many accomplishments and groundbreaking achievements when she became the first African American female doctor to secure a medical patent in 1988.
Her invention uses laser technology to break up and remove cataracts, which cause vision loss with age. This method is quicker, easier, and less invasive than previous treatments. In 2014, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recognized her work as "one of the most important developments in the field of ophthalmology," acknowledging its role in restoring or enhancing the vision of millions globally.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, often referred to as "The Wall," was dedicated in 1982 in Washington, D.C., its design sparked debate, much like the war it memorialized. A panel of eight artists and designers reviewed over 1,400 anonymous submissions, ultimately selecting the design by Maya Lin (1959– ), a 21-year-old Yale undergraduate who had created it as part of a class project.
Maya Lin was born in Ohio to parents who had escaped mainland China. Her minimalist yet impactful design for a V-shaped wall, which now bears over 58,000 names, only earned her a B on the assignment. Nevertheless, she triumphed over her professor in the competition.
