12 Quotes By Famous Women Throughout History You Need To Know

History can be pretty dry at times. It isn’t until later in life that we start to see any semblance of relevance or even get excited. As a woman and a feminist there is much we can learn from women throughout history, but how do we wade through all those leather-bound books to find what we’re looking for?

Good news! Author and actress Elaine Partnow, author of the book ‘The Quotable Woman, The First 5000 Years’ has made it easy for us all. Her book has been around for 35 years, is taught in schools, and now she is bringing it to life in a new web series called ‘The Quotable Woman’. The Los Angeles native has had 17 books published altogether, talk about a powerhouse.

She is currently running a kickstarter campaign to get all the funding necessary to make this amazing book into content that is more easily accessible for the younger generation. And just in case you were wondering, yes, she will be dressing up as certain characters to make it more real. Now who wouldn’t want to see that!

To celebrate the next phase of ‘The Quotable Woman’ she shared with us some exclusive quotes from the book written by women who some of us already know. We hope these will inspire you to read the book and contribute to Elaine’s campaign, or at the very least, really what badass female role models we have had throughout history.

1. Robin Morgan: Co-founder of the Women’s Media Center & award-winning writer.

“Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible”

“There’s something contagious about demanding freedom”

2. Gloria Steinem: Iconic feminist, founder of Ms. Magazine.

“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn but to unlearn.”

3. Betty Friedan: author of ‘The Feminine Mystique’ & the mother of the second wave of feminism.

“It is easier to live through someone else than to become complete yourself.”

4. Nancy Pelosi: Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.

“A woman is like a teabag. You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

5. Dianne Feinstein: United States Senator from California.

“Toughness doesn’t have to come in a pinstripe suit.’

6. Toni Morrison: Writer & Professor. Nobel Literature Prize and Pulitzer Prize winner.

“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.”

7. Margaret Thatcher: The first and only female British Prime Minister 1979-1990. Nicknamed ‘The Iron Lady’.

“The cocks may crow, but it’s the hen that lays the egg.”

8. Susan. B Anthony: Leader of 19th Century women’s suffrage movement.

“The Constitution says: ‘We the people of the United States…not we the white male citizens…”

9. Eleanor Roosevelt: Activist and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

10. Bella Abzug: A Women’s Movement leader, lawyer, U.S. Representative and activist.

“A woman’s place is in the house- the House of Representatives.”

11. Dolores Huerta: Civil Rights activist, co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, right hand of Cesar Chavez.

“If you haven’t forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others?”

12. Flo Kennedy: Feminist, lawyer, and civil rights advocate.

“Very few jobs actually require a penis or a vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody.”