Who is the founder of women's history?

The study of women's history has a long and rich history, and there have been many individuals who have contributed to its development over the years. However, one of the most important figures in the field is undoubtedly Gerda Lerner.

Gerda Lerner was born on April 30, 1920, in Vienna, Austria. She grew up in a middle-class Jewish family and attended the University of Vienna, where she earned a doctorate in history in 1946. After the end of World War II, Lerner became involved in political activism, advocating for women's rights and opposing the rise of fascism in Europe.

In 1951, Lerner immigrated to the United States with her husband, Carl Lerner, who was a filmmaker. She continued her political activism and also began teaching history at various colleges and universities. However, Lerner quickly became disillusioned with the way that history was being taught, particularly with the way that women's history was being ignored or marginalized.

In the early 1960s, Lerner began researching and writing about women's history, becoming one of the first historians to focus specifically on the experiences and contributions of women. In 1963, she helped to found the National Organization for Women (NOW), which quickly became one of the leading feminist organizations in the United States.

Lerner continued to write and teach about women's history, and in 1972 she founded the first graduate program in women's history in the United States, at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. This program was the first of its kind and helped to establish women's history as a legitimate field of study.

Throughout her career, Lerner was a prolific author, writing numerous books and articles on women's history. One of her most influential works was "The Creation of Patriarchy," which traced the historical origins of gender inequality and argued that patriarchy was not a natural or inevitable social order, but rather a product of historical processes.

Lerner also played an important role in the development of the women's history movement more broadly. She helped to establish the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) in 1977 and served as its president from 1980 to 1982. She was also a founding member of the International Women's History Association (IWHA) in 1982.

In addition to her work in academia, Lerner was also involved in politics and activism throughout her life. She was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and an advocate for civil rights and social justice. She was also involved in the movement to free Angela Davis, a political activist who was jailed in the 1970s.

Lerner passed away on January 2, 2013, at the age of 92. However, her legacy lives on in the field of women's history and in the broader feminist movement. Her work has helped to uncover the contributions of women throughout history and to challenge the patriarchal assumptions that have long dominated historical scholarship.

In conclusion, Gerda Lerner was a pioneering historian and feminist who played a central role in the development of women's history as a legitimate field of study. Through her research, writing, and activism, she helped to uncover the experiences and contributions of women throughout history and to challenge the patriarchal assumptions that have long dominated historical scholarship. Her legacy continues to inspire and inform scholars and activists today, and she remains a powerful symbol of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and social justice.