Five Glass Ceilings Broken in New Hampshire
Groundbreaking moments for women in New Hampshire’s history
New Hampshire has a strong history of female leadership, and I’m proud to share five stories of women “firsts” in New Hampshire as part of Women’s History Month. Check back throughout the month of March as we highlight one “first” a week.
1. Dover Mill Women
Women at the Dover Mill led the first women’s strike for fair wages and treatment in the workplace. Read more about the Dover Mill Women here.
2. Executive Councilor Dudley Dudley
Dudley Dudley was at the forefront of New Hampshire’s strong tradition of female leadership, serving as the first female Executive Councilor.
3. Governor and Senator Jeanne Shaheen
As the first woman in the United States to serve as a Governor and a Senator, Jeanne Shaheen has been a trailblazer for women in New Hampshire and beyond.
4. First All-Female All-Democratic Congressional Delegation
I am proud to be part of the first all-female all-democratic Congressional Delegation with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congresswoman Annie Kuster, and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter.
5. Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was a teacher at Concord High School when she was selected as the first teacher in space through NASA’S “Teacher in Space” program. Though she was taken from us far too soon in the tragic Challenger explosion, she pushed the boundaries of human knowledge and discovery and remains an inspiration.
This Women’s History Month, I’ve been highlighting groundbreaking moments for women in New Hampshire’s history. But today, I want to honor a woman who has played a big part in inspiring me to get involved in public service and supported me at every turn — my mom Peggy. Growing up, my mom was a leader by example. I watched as she and my dad worked to further the values of freedom, equality and inclusion every day, and to make sure that their children would do the same. One of my earliest political memories is collating materials at the dining room table that my mother was sending out as President of our local League of Women Voters. And in later years, she taught history at our local high school, teaching me about what it really means to mentor young people and to help them thrive.
I am forever grateful to my mother for teaching me that while inclusion is hard, it is necessary. So today, please join me in thanking Peggy — and so many women out there like her — for teaching us that when more people have a seat at the table, we all get stronger.
