WOMEN BLAZED THE TRAIL How these ten remarkable people earned their place in the history books
They were soldiers, advocates, educators, scientists and women. So much is said about the nation’s Founding Fathers, but there is no shortage of ladies responsible for immeasurable contributions to the country.
Here are some of the remarkable women who added to the city’s rich diverse tapestry:
Margaret Corbin
Margaret Corbin fought alongside the Continental Army at the present-day Fort Tryon Park during the 1776 battle against the British, making her the first woman to fight in the Revolutionary War.
Corbin’s husband, John, died during the clash, so she took control of his cannon and fired it against 4,000 Hessian mercenaries hired by England. The Continental Congress recognized her as a member of the army and granted her half of a soldier’s pension in 1779. In 1926 — 126 years after her death — when Corbin’s remains were transferred to West Point, she became the first woman buried at the military cemetery. Fort Tryon Park’s drive and entrance are named after her.
Elizabeth Jennings Graham
One hundred and one years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, Elizabeth Jennings Graham refused to get off a horse-drawn streetcar that only serviced white commuters. Graham, a 24-year-old black schoolteacher, would not budge in July 1854 when a conductor of a Third Avenue Railroad Co. horsecar in lower Manhattan told her to get off. Graham wound up suing the driver, the conductor and the Third Avenue Railway. Graham — who was represented by Chester Arthur, the future 21st president of the United States — won her suit in 1855. She’s credited with helping to desegregate New York City’s public transit system.
Emily Warren Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling oversaw the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and was the first person to cross the New York City landmark. Roebling’s father-in-law and civil engineer John Roebling had initially spearheaded the project — but his untimely death in 1869 meant that Roebling’s husband, Washington Roebling, had to take over. When her husband contracted a bad case of “the bends” in 1872, someone had to fill the role of engineer — and Roebling became the obvious choice. She served as a key liaison between her husband and the construction team, and was lauded for her work before the bridge officially opened in 1883.
Anna Arnold Hedgeman
Political activist Anna Arnold Hedgeman was the first African-American woman in a mayoral cabinet position in the city. Hedgeman served under Mayor Robert Wagner from 1957 to 1958. Prior to her tenure, the well-respected educator worked on the 1948 Harry Truman presidential campaign and was a columnist and editor for the New York Age. She also served as the assistant dean of women at Howard University.
Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, was from Manhattan. The world record holder and goldmedal Olympian swam from Cap Gris Nez in France to Kent, England, in 14 hours and 39 minutes on Aug. 6, 1926 — a feat that earned her the moniker “America’s Best Girl” coined by President Calvin Cooldige. Ederle — the daughter of German im