Jessie Benton Fremont, Harriet Lane, and Varina Davis.
Although these names may not be as renowned as suffragist Susan B. Anthony, they played a pivotal role in American history, particularly during the the Civil War.
In today’s politics, the names Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carly Fiorina are familiar to those who pay attention to the burgeoning race to cross the 2016 finish line. But it is yet uncertain how these women will influence the race and in what shapes their footprints will land on the ever-changing landscape of American history.
What connections can we make between the women of Washington then and now? How do women from the past affect our understanding of women in the present?
Guest:
Cokie Roberts, commentator for NPR; her latest book is “Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868”