Women’s History – Three Amazing Women

One of my all-time favorite quotes reads, “Well behaved women rarely make history!” The women in this article didn’t necessarily behave badly. But they certainly stepped out of their comfort zones. From a self-taught folk artist to a heroin of the Underground Railroad to a determined wife, each of these women brought something unique to the world.

Clementine Hunter’s Murals at Melrose Plantation Photo: Terri Marshall

An Unlikely Folk Artist

Clementine Hunter, born in the late 1880s, spent her early years working on a farm in Louisiana’s Cane River area in Natchitoches Parish before moving to Melrose Plantation during her teenage years. The Melrose Plantation was owned and managed by Cammie Henry and her husband. Henry, a fervent patron of the arts, often hosted artists and writers, encouraging their creative endeavors. When one artist left behind his supplies, Hunter discovered them and used the materials to produce her first artwork.

Hunter, who was in her 50s at the time, began to flourish artistically, producing over 5,000 pieces of art. She left her legacy on every piece of flat surface available, painting scenes depicting everyday plantation life, including funeral processions, community gatherings, and hanging laundry on the clothesline. Utilizing vibrant colors and an exaggerated scale of people, she created a unique style of folk art. Hunter spent her days working on the plantation, but her evenings were devoted to creating the art that would eventually earn her the distinction of becoming the first African American to host a solo art exhibit at a gallery in New Orleans and another at Northwestern State College.

Hunter initially sold her paintings for very little, but today her work is highly valued and displayed in many esteemed art museums around the world. Her legacy lives on, forever captured in the brushstrokes that narrate tales of a past time.

Clementine Hunter died on  January 1, 1988, at the age of 101. Nine of her murals are on display in the African American House on Melrose Plantation.

Clementine Hunter’s Modest Cabin Photo: Terri Marshall

Taking Courage to New Levels

When it comes to bravery, Harriet Tubman ranks among the bravest women ever to walk this earth. Born and enslaved in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Tubman ultimately escaped to freedom in the North, but she repeatedly risked her life by returning to Maryland in the 1850s to guide other slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Tubman led an estimated 70 enslaved people north to new lives of freedom. She also advised 50 to 60 more on how to escape to freedom.

In 1896, Tubman spoke at a women’s suffrage convention saying, “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”

Today the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Church Creek shares the story of this incredibly brave woman who risked it all to help others. Learn more about her unwavering commitment to bringing others to freedom in the park’s visitor center through exhibits, audio-visual exhibits, and a research library.

Outside, the peaceful “Legacy Garden” provides an ideal place to meditate and reflect surrounded by the landscape that shaped Tubman’s formative years.

Harriet Tubman Sculpture in White Plains, NY Photo: Shutterstock

The World’s First Road Trip

Today we take road trips for granted, but there was a time long ago when no one had ever driven a car on a road trip. That changed in August 1988, when Bertha Benz, the wife of Carl Benz, drove their two sons from Mannheim, Germany to Pforzheim via Heidelberg without her husband’s knowledge. It was the act of a devoted wife determined to prove to the world that the motor car her husband had developed was the future of mobility.

When the car’s tank was empty, she bought three liters of ligroin from a pharmacy in Wiesloch, making it the world’s first gas station. Other challenges arrived along the way including a blocked fuel line which Mrs. Benz cleaned with her hat pin. She also used her garter for insulation. Along the way, her sons helped push the car at the edge of the Black Forest when necessary.

Mrs. Benz’ 12-hour, 65-mile trip launched a new era. Today, the Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a German tourist and theme route located in Baden-Württemberg. It is also a member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Established in 2008, the route traces the path of the world’s first long-distance road trip. As the saying goes, ”Behind every great man is a great woman.”  I think Bertha Benz proved that without a doubt!

Portrait of Bertha Benz Photo: By Bühler, Mannheim

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