Updated: March 8, 2023. Guest Author: Adina Bernstein
Well behaved women seldom make history.
I’d like to add something to that quote:
Well behaved redheaded women seldom make history.
In the history of our planet and species, more often than not, it is men who have made their voices heard. Women have seldom stepped onto the soap box to lead. Even fewer redheaded women have dared to let their voices match their hair.
Thankfully, there are six redheaded women throughout history that have dared to step forward and make their voices heard:
Born and raised in Roman era England, she was queen of the Iceni, a tribe that lived in what is now the Eastern English coast. After her husband died, the Romans whipped her and raped her daughters to force the Iceni into submission. She led a rebellion against the Romans that ultimately failed, but her legacy as a freedom fighter lives on.
She was know to “possess greater intelligence than often belongs to women.” She is remembered as tall, had long red hair down to her hips, a harsh voice and a piercing glare, and habitually wore a large golden necklace (perhaps a torc), a many-coloured tunic and a thick cloak fastened by a brooch.- As described in Boudica of The Iceini.
2. Grace O’Malley
“A notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland.”
The daughter of an Irish chieftain, she married twice, both times to wealthy and powerful men. But she was not content to live the life of a landlocked wife. In an era when England ruled Ireland, Grace was a force to be reckoned with. She was both an antagonist and an ally to the English crown. Today she is remembered as a capable and determined woman who defied the idea of what it was to be considered a proper lady.
3. Elizabeth I Of England
“I know that I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and the stomach of a king, and a king of England too.” – Elizabeth I of England.
When Elizabeth was born in September of 1533, she was not expected to become Queen Of England. Her father was Henry the VIII. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, was his second wife. In his pursuit of a legitimate male heir, Henry would divorce or have executed several of his wives. In 1558, Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England. Her reign, according to historians, was one of the golden ages of British history.
4. Anne Bonney
“If you had fought like a man, you wouldn’t have to die like a dog.” – Anne Bonney
Anne Bonney was not a woman content to marry a local boy and keep a home. As a young woman, she left her widowed father for pirate paradise of New Providence, Nassau. Her vehicle out of a proper life was her first husband, James Bonney. But the true love of her life, besides pirating was Calico Jack Rackham. Anne was not just Jack’s woman; she was a respected member of the crew who lived the pirate life as much as any man.
5. Lucy Burns
“It is unthinkable that a national government which represents women should ignore the issue of the right of all women to political freedom.” – Lucy Burns
The daughter of an Irish Catholic family, Lucy worked hand in hand with Alice Paul in the National Women’s Party. Their goal was to see a national amendment giving American women the right to vote. After picketing in front of the White House and going on a hunger strike in prison, Lucy, Alice and the rest of the members of the NWP finally saw their goal becoming reality.
6. Rose Schneiderman
“What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist — the right to life as the rich woman has the right to life, and the sun and music and art. You have nothing that the humblest worker has not a right to have also. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too. Help, you women of privilege, give her the ballot to fight with.” – Rose Schneiderman
Rose was born to a religious Jewish family in pre-revolutionary Russia in 1882. She immigrated to New York City with her family in 1890. Like many young immigrant women of her era, Rose would find work in the garment factories. But working conditions were deplorable and Rose would become a voice for the workers whose choices for jobs were limited.
Do you have other powerful redhead women who inspire you? Share below.
Rock it like a Redhead!