Radical Histories: From Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ to FDA Approval of the Birth Control Pill

Radical Histories: From Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ to FDA Approval of the Birth Control Pill

Radical Histories: From Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ to FDA Approval of the Birth Control Pill

Do you know the key moments in the struggle for gender equality?

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Since its founding in 1865, The Nation has been a home for writers instigating, reporting on, and arguing about struggles for social and economic justice. We have held fast to our “Nation Ideals”— from racial justice to feminism, from a fair economy to civil liberties, from environmental sustainability to peace and disarmament—throughout our 150-year history. This month, we’re celebrating Feminism, Sex & Gender. Above, you’ll find an interactive multimedia timeline that presents the history of the fight for women’s rights, complete with archival photographs and video. Part II is here.

Research by Richard Kreitner and Stacie Williams
Design by Stacie Williams

Check out all of our timelines on race and civil rights!
Part I, From the Memphis riots of 1866 to the first anti-lynching conference, in New York City, in 1919.
Part II, From the “Red Summer” of racial violence in Chicago, in 1919, to Rosa Parks’s bus protest, in 1955.
Part III, From the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968.
Part IV, From the ban on segregation in housing, in 1968, to freedom for Nelson Mandela, in 1990.
Part V, From the LA riots of 1992 to the release of Selma, in 2015.

An urgent message from the Editors

As the editors of The Nation, it’s not usually our role to fundraise. Today, however, we’re putting out a special appeal to our readers, because there are only hours left in 2025 and we’re still $20,000 away from our goal of $75,000. We need you to help close this gap. 

Your gift to The Nation directly supports the rigorous, confrontational, and truly independent journalism that our country desperately needs in these dark times.

2025 was a terrible year for press freedom in the United States. Trump launched personal attack after personal attack against journalists, newspapers, and broadcasters across the country, including multiple billion-dollar lawsuits. The White House even created a government website to name and shame outlets that report on the administration with anti-Trump bias—an exercise in pure intimidation.

The Nation will never give in to these threats and will never be silenced. In fact, we’re ramping up for a year of even more urgent and powerful dissent. 

With the 2026 elections on the horizon, and knowing Trump’s history of false claims of fraud when he loses, we’re going to be working overtime with writers like Elie Mystal, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Jeet Heer, Kali Holloway, Katha Pollitt, and Chris Lehmann to cut through the right’s spin, lies, and cover-ups as the year develops.

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In solidarity,

The Nation Editors

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