In celebration of Women’s History Month, let’s honor the badass women whose contributions shaped American history. From founding mothers and first ladies to scientists and voodoo priestesses, women have been trailblazers since the colonial era. To highlight their lasting impact, I’ve compiled the following reading list that brings their stories to life.
These book selections cover iconic figures you’ve read about in history class, as well as hidden stories of lesser-known heroines. Most importantly, they correct the historical narrative by placing women where they belong—front and center.
Women’s History Books
Read about how women shaped the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. If the Wild West is more your thing, well, guess what…women were there too! They were also killing it as scientists and spies, breaking barriers and defying expectations. And we can’t forget the suffragists and activists who tirelessly fought for women’s rights. The following selections offer something for every interest.
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England by Carol F. Karlsen Buy Now
$16.69
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08/25/2026 04:16 am GMT
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America s Independence by Carol Berkin Buy Now
$11.43
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08/24/2026 09:15 pm GMT
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts Buy Now
$15.99
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08/24/2026 02:54 pm GMT
Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West by Katie Hickman Buy Now
$20.88
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08/25/2026 05:01 am GMT
Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz Buy Now
$12.34
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08/25/2026 04:16 am GMT
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore Buy Now
$8.39
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08/25/2026 05:01 am GMT
Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson Buy Now
$19.50
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality: 1920-2020 by Elisabeth Griffith Buy Now
$13.96
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights by Dorothy Wickenden Buy Now
$15.99
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol Dubois Buy Now
$16.02
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower Buy Now
$12.90
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women by Susan Swain Buy Now
$16.91
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins Buy Now
$12.72
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08/25/2026 07:07 am GMT
A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross Buy Now
$14.21
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins Buy Now
$12.66
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy Buy Now
$12.99
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08/25/2026 07:02 am GMT
Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage by Nathalia Holt Buy Now
$19.99
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt Buy Now
$16.00
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
Hidden Figures: Young Readers’ Edition of Hidden Figures Celebrating African American Women Pioneers at NASA by Margot Lee Shetterly Buy Now
$9.18
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
The Fall of Roe: The Rise of New America by Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer Buy Now
$16.15
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08/25/2026 07:13 am GMT
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Biographies and Memoirs
Get up close and personal with some of the most influential figures in American history. Dive into biographies of activists, abolitionists, and aviators. Selections also include the stories of Supreme Court justices, first ladies, and founding mothers who helped shape the nation.
Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells Buy Now
$23.00
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08/25/2026 04:07 am GMT
Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady Buy Now
$22.49
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08/24/2026 02:54 pm GMT
Abigail Adams: A Life by Woody Holton Buy Now
$11.59
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08/24/2026 01:47 pm GMT
Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar Buy Now
$12.58
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
Narrative of Sojourner Truth Buy Now
$8.49
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Miles Buy Now
$12.00
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
Failure Is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words by Lynn Sherr Buy Now
$13.85
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau by Carolyn Morrow Long Buy Now
$13.21
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene’s Journey from Prejudice to Privilege Buy Now
$34.35
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming Buy Now
$18.99
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt Buy Now
$12.17
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
Eleanor by David Michaelis Buy Now
$14.99
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell Buy Now
$11.27
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies by Jason Fagone Buy Now
$12.26
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis Buy Now
$21.00
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08/25/2026 07:02 am GMT
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik Buy Now
$12.38
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg Buy Now
$11.92
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08/25/2026 04:16 am GMT
Becoming by Michelle Obama Buy Now
$16.07
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08/25/2026 04:15 am GMT
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If you want some more reading material on badass bitches, see The Best Books About Women in World History.
For more history book lists, click here.
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