We the Women Quotes

“As you'll learn in this book, women have never given up the fight to realize a more perfect union.”

The author introducing the book's theme of women's persistent struggle.

It encapsulates the unwavering determination of women throughout American history. The phrase 'never given up the fight' emphasizes resilience and the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.

“How ironic that Mary Katherine's work was meant to be remembered forever, yet she herself has largely been forgotten.”

Narrator reflecting on the Goddard Broadside's purpose and Mary Katherine Goddard's historical obscurity.

This line encapsulates the central tragedy of Goddard's story: her contribution to preserving the Declaration contrasts sharply with her own erasure from history, resonating with anyone who values recognition for unsung contributors.

“Including her full name opened her up to the risk of being imprisoned by the British.”

Explanation of why Mary Katherine Goddard used her full name on the Goddard Broadside rather than initials.

It highlights her personal courage and defiance, showing that signing her name was a deliberate act of bravery during a war when signers faced real danger.

“She wrote, “What think ye of Congress now? That day... evidenced that Americans would rather die than live [as] slaves!””

Mary Katherine Goddard's editorial after the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.

This fiery declaration captures her passionate patriotism and her role as a wartime journalist, inspiring readers with the revolutionary spirit of resistance.

“Postmaster General Samuel Osgood claimed that in the role, “more travelling might be necessary than a Woman could undertake.””

The stated reason for Mary Katherine Goddard's dismissal as postmaster in 1789, as recounted in the chapter.

This quote exposes the sexist double standard that ended her career, making readers angry on her behalf and highlighting a barrier women faced then—and still face today.

“Remember Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.”

Phillis Wheatley's poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" uses Christian imagery to rebuke enslavers who view Black people with scorn.

This couplet boldly challenges racial prejudice through the language of faith, insisting on the spiritual equality of Black people and their inclusion in salvation.

“Whenever I feel unable to write, I remember that Thomas Jefferson singled out young black poetess Phillis Wheatley with shallow disdain.... Then I crack my knuckles and get to work.”

Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate, describes how Wheatley's treatment by Jefferson inspires her own writing.

This quote shows the enduring power of Wheatley's legacy, transforming historical dismissal into a source of creative resilience and defiance.

“She believed that freedom was an intrinsic human right, clearly enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, but not in practice in the new nation.”

The author summarizes Phillis Wheatley's hope that the Revolution would bring freedom for all, not just white colonists.

This line captures the central contradiction of America's founding—proclaiming liberty while maintaining slavery—and Wheatley's role in exposing that hypocrisy.

“By writing this poem and others like it over the next eight years, Wheatley as much as Patrick Henry or any other American patriot was risking her liberty and her life.”

Scholar James G. Basker describes the danger Phillis Wheatley faced by publishing patriotic poems as a Black woman.

It reframes Wheatley's contribution as an act of profound courage, equal to that of better-known revolutionaries, and highlights the personal stakes she bore.

“The origin of all power is in the people, and that they have an incontestable right to check the creatures of their own creation.”

Mercy Otis Warren wrote this in her 1788 pamphlet 'Observations on the New Constitution,' arguing against ratification without a Bill of Rights.

This statement is a timeless assertion of popular sovereignty and the people's right to hold government accountable, directly influencing the push for the Bill of Rights.

“For Mercy, principles always came before personalities, even when it cost her dearly.”

This is the author's reflection on Mercy's refusal to back down from her criticisms of John Adams, which ended their longtime friendship.

It highlights her unwavering integrity and courage, making her a model of principled political engagement even at great personal cost.

“It is because of her meticulous work that we know the hopes, fears, and challenges faced by Revolutionary-era women.”

The author describes Elizabeth Ellet's legacy.

This sentence underscores the crucial role of her research in preserving the experiences of Revolutionary-era women.

“These “patriotic mothers,” Elizabeth eloquently wrote, “nursed the infancy of freedom.””

Elizabeth's own words about the women of the American Revolution.

The metaphor 'nursed the infancy of freedom' powerfully redefines women's foundational contribution to the nation.

“The apparent dearth of information was at first almost disheartening.”

Elizabeth Ellet in the preface to her book, acknowledging the difficulty of her research.

This line captures the challenge of recovering women's history and the perseverance required to overcome it.

“A woman's sphere, on the other hand, is secluded, and in very few instances does her personal history, even though she may fill a conspicuous position, afford sufficient incident to; throw a strong light upon her character.”

Elizabeth Ellet explaining why women's history is harder to document than men's.

It highlights the systemic erasure of women from the historical record and the need for dedicated recovery work.

“She never covered it, and when visitors to the house asked her what happened, she said simply, “Ask Madam.””

Describing how Elizabeth displayed the scar from a beating by her enslaver Hannah Ashley.

This brief, powerful directive exposes her enslaver's cruelty without elaboration, forcing others to confront the truth. It epitomizes quiet resistance and the refusal to hide injustice.

“She was born a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years; she could neither read nor write, yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal.”

This is part of the epitaph on Elizabeth Freeman's gravestone, written by Catharine Sedgwick.

It honors Elizabeth's extraordinary character and accomplishments despite her lack of formal education and early enslavement. The line elevates her legacy, reminding readers that true worth transcends literacy or social status.

“Women are always useful in grand Events.”

Patience Lovell Wright wrote this in a letter, observing that people don't expect women to be spies.

This line succinctly captures the theme of women's hidden contributions to history and their underestimated power in pivotal moments.

“I most sincerely wish not only to make the likeness of Washington, but of those five gentlemen, who assisted at the signing the treaty of peace, that put an end to so bloody and dreadful a war.”

Patience wrote this in a letter to Thomas Jefferson shortly before her death, expressing her desire to honor the founding fathers through her art.

It reveals her patriotic fervor and artistic ambition, showing her deep commitment to memorializing the nation's founders.

“As soon as a general was appointed, or a squadron begun to be fitted out, the old lady found means of access to some family where she could gain information, and thus without being at all suspected, she continued to transmit an account of the number of troops and the place of their destination to her political friends abroad.”

Benjamin Franklin's grandson William Temple Franklin described Patience's espionage methods.

This passage highlights her ingenuity and the invaluable intelligence she provided, demonstrating how she used her social position to aid the patriot cause.

“She was not merely one of America's first professional sculptors but a woman who molded history itself, a revolutionary artist whose greatest masterpiece may have been her own extraordinary life.”

The author concludes the chapter on Patience Lovell Wright.

This poetic summary encapsulates her dual legacy as both an artist and a spy, celebrating her as a transformative figure who shaped history through her unique life.

“Slavery is contrary to the declaration of our independence.”

Angelina Grimké wrote this in her 1836 pamphlet 'Appeal to the Christian Women of the South.'

It succinctly exposes the hypocrisy of a nation founded on liberty while permitting slavery, a challenge that resonates through ongoing struggles for equality.

“It is my deep, solemn, deliberate conviction, that this is a cause worth dying for.”

Angelina Grimké wrote this in an 1835 letter to abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, published in The Liberator.

This line captures her absolute moral commitment and willingness to sacrifice everything for abolition, inspiring readers to stand firm in their convictions.