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When we think of war, we rightfully envision soldiers and political leaders—who in our history were mostly men. But, of course, women lived through, participated in, and were impacted by these major, monumental events too. This is not a comparison of the roles of men versus women, but an acknowledgement of how important these events were to her story as well as his.
It is no coincidence that women finally got the right to vote just after World War I ended. Suffragists leveraged women's wartime contributions and used the political language of the moment to demand that if our country desired to spread democracy abroad, it must also practice it at home.
Look at the major events in the lifetime of every ancestor and consider how they were effected. We must be careful not to limit what we think of as men’s history to men. Women lived it too.
War impacted relationships, courtships, occupations, vocations, community roles, household operations, and so many other aspects of daily life. Women, like men, lived through unique experiences generated by the extremes of War.
If a woman served in the military, in any capacity, it is important to examine her individual records as well as those of the unit in which she served. Locating the records and stories of the individuals she served with is also likely to reveal details of her experience.
In addition to the files for any women who served, also seek out the files for the servicemen who were a part of your female ancestors’ lives. Individual service and pension files are good places to start for potential genealogical clues and biographical context. Under certain circumstances, widows, children, and parents of soldiers could also apply for military pensions. The applications of these family members required proof of relationships. Accordingly, these files may include family bible pages, personal wartime letters, and numerous depositions.
Federal records maintained by the National Archives provide an excellent starting point for finding key documents, but it is also important to search at the state and local level for record sets related to units and soldiers from those locations.
Library of Congress subject specialists have created Blogs that provide background and resources for further study.
Hello Girls Answer Uncle Sam’s Call
The Hello Girls of World War I – Heeding the Call
The Pilgrimages of Gold Star Mothers and Widows in the 1930s: A View into Veterans’ and Women’s History
World War I: The Women’s Land ArmyThe following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Women Patriots of the American Revolution: A Biographical Dictionary by 
In the Midst of Alarms: The Untold Story of Women and the War of 1812 by 
Women and the American Civil War: An Annotated Bibliography by 
Women in the Civil War by 
American Women in World War I: They Also Served by 
Forgotten Veterans, Invisible Memorials: How American women commemorated the Great War, 1917-1945 by 
The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers by 
Mobilizing Minerva: American Women in the First World War by 
Pilgrimage for the mothers and widows of soldiers, sailors, and mariners of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe as provided by the Act of Congress of March 2, 1929 by 
A Woman's War Too: U.S. Women in the Military in World War II by 
The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II by The Library of Congress Digital Collections contain a wide variety of primary source materials that may be searched for items related to the lives and times of our female ancestors, including government documents, manuscripts, maps, newspaper articles, and photographs. Search for historical context to set the scene and better understand her world, as well as pieces specifically about her life.
Veterans History Project CollectionThe following collection titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content, including finding aids for the collections, are included when available.
American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., RecordsLibrary of Congress subject specialists have created Research Guides that provide background and resources for further study.
African American Women in the Military and at War
Auxiliary and Allied Organizations - Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies: A Guide to Resources in the General Collections of the Library of Congress
Hello Girls: Topics in Chronicling America
Rosie the Riveter: Working Women and World War IIMilitary records are being digitized at local, state, and federal levels, but it is a gradual process. Many records must still be ordered or accessed through the appropriate repositories, most predominantly the National Archives.
Explore the websites below to determine which records may be available to you online versus which ones you will need to request or schedule an appointment to view in person.
The subscription resources marked with a padlock 
are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.
