Library of Congress Resources

Digital Resources

The following resources will offer ways to explore the topic further using free and subscription resources available from the Library of Congress. Subscription resources are available to onsite researchers or other institutions that subscribe to them.

Business and Economics E-Resources
The goal of the guide is to provide guidance to electronic resources the Library of Congress subscribes to as well as freely available e-resources selected by subject specialists for business and economics research. Some resources are marked with a padlock symbol, which means they can only be accessed on-site at the Library.
Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers
Historic American newspapers selected and contributed by state partners in the National Digital Newspaper Program.
Digital Image Collections
Find photographs and prints in the Library of Congress collection by searching by keywords or names.

Research Guides

There are many other Library of Congress research guides on the subject of American women’s history that offer valuable resources for researching women’s place in the U.S. economy. A sampling of these guides is provided below, but many more can be found in American Women: A Guide to Women's History Resources at the Library of Congress.

American Women: Resources from the General Collections
The General Collections of the Library of Congress constitute most of the books and bound periodicals published since 1800. Part of the American Women series, this research guide highlights primary and secondary sources about American women's history.
American Women: Resources from the Geography and Map Collections
Part of the American Women Series, this research guide highlights cartographic materials at the Library of Congress related to women's history in the United States.
American Women: Resources from the Manuscript Collections
Part of the American Women series, this guide highlights collections and resources in the Manuscript Division for finding manuscript materials related to women's history in the United States.
American Women: Resources from the Performing Arts Collections
Part of the American Women Series, this guide highlights collections and resources in the Music Division that document the lives and work of significant women in music, theater, and dance.
American Women: Resources from the Serial & Government Publications Collections
Part of the American Women series, this guide highlights the Library's collections of current and retrospective newspapers, current periodicals, government publications, and several special holdings of a serial nature, such as comic books.

Blog Posts

The Library of Congress hosts a series of blogs which feature compelling stories and fascinating facts about its diverse collections. The following blogs posts are just a sampling of posts that highlight notable women and significant events related to women in American economic history. Explore the topic in the Library's blogs by browsing the category of Women's History.

Missing Women and Feminist Economics. March 22, 2021 Inside Adams
Where have two million women gone and how can economists find them?
The Hello Girls of World War I – Heeding the Call. April 21, 2021 Inside Adams
This is a story of women hired as switchboard operators during World War I.
Closing the Gap: Unraveling Pay Inequities, March 12, 2024, Inside Adams
This post is about Equal Pay Day, which represents the extra number of days beyond a year that the average woman needs to work to earn the same amount a man earns in one year for equal work, by taking a look at sources that examine the pay gap.

This Month in Business History

This Month in Business History (Business Section)
This guide provides access to selected resources on important topics in business history, arranged by month. Each month we highlight a set of events and people, connected to that month, illustrating important milestones in the history of business in the United States. Below are examples of entries featuring prominent women and historical events affected women, but explore the guide further to learn about the place of women in the history of American business and industry.
Beauty Entrepreneur: Madam C. J. Walker Born
Madam C. J. Walker founded Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company a company that created haircare for Black women and in doing so, became one of the most well-known and richest women in America.
Cosmetic Entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden Born
Florence Nightingale Graham, later known as Elizabeth Arden, was born in Canada December 31, 1881.
Dolores Huerta, Labor Activist Born
Dolores Huerta, one of the most influential Hispanics of the 20th century, is recognized for her work as a community organizer, labor activist, civil rights leader, and advocate for social, economic, and environmental justice.
Founding of The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU)
On June 3, 1900 the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was founded to represent workers in the textile industry who made women’s clothing.
Frances Perkins became the First Female Cabinet Member
Frances Perkins became the 1st woman appointed to a presidential Cabinet when she was sworn in as Secretary of Labor on March 4, 1933.
Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street” was Born
How did a woman born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in November 1824 to a well-to-do Quaker family known for their whaling fleet and shipping interests, come to be remembered as the "Witch of Wall Street?"
Ida Tarbell Author of "History of the Standard Oil Company" Born
Standard Oil founded in 1870 was one of the biggest companies in the United States but was broken up in 1911 but before that, Ida Tarbell wrote a series in McClure's that was published as a book that made a major impact.
Labor Activist Mother Jones Dies
In the history of the labor movement in the United States, there are many names and places of note, and the name Mother Jones is one of the biggest. She was witness to the Great Chicago Fire and the Haymarket affair, was involved in the events related to the Ludlow Massacre and the Pain-Cabin Creek Strike and helped to found Industrial Workers of the World.
Nannie Helen Burroughs Born
Black educator and suffragette Nannie Helen Burroughs founded the business skills school National Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C.

Women in Business and the Workforce

Library of Congress Resources

Digital Resources

Research Guides

Blog Posts

This Month in Business History