No Women Back Then?

In her best-selling book, “Founding Mothers,” the late journalist Cokie Roberts offers an inspiring look at the founding fathers’ patriotic and passionate wives, sisters, and mothers. The author writes about the triumphs of women like Abigail Adams, Deborah Franklin, and Martha Washington, whose tireless efforts were crucial to the forging of America. Abigail Adams, for example, famously said, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” With courage and determination, these Founding Mothers were breaking the silence expected of the women of their day.

At a children’s book reading of “Founding Mothers,” Roberts shared with a group of third graders her own childhood experience. “When I was a kid growing up, I’d look at all these historical stories and pictures and statues and think, where are all the women?” Then she jokingly added, “Maybe there weren’t any women…