First U.S. Congresswoman 

On March 4, 1917, Jeanette Pickering Rankin from Montana became the first female in the U. S. House of Representatives. In fact, she was the first female to hold any federal office in the United States. As a Republican, she ended up serving during both world wars. She is noted for her diligent work to get woman the universal, unrestricted right to vote and for promoting civil rights.

Perhaps some of her most controversial votes involved her pacifist leanings. For example, she was the only member of Congress who voted against declaring war on Japan after Pearl Harbor. This unpopular decision brought an end to her political career. As the vote came up to declare war on Germany and Italy, she abstained. When her brother, who had headed her campaign, called to tell her Montana was 100% opposed to her stance, she is reported to have told him that they all knew she was against war when they elected her and that she only voted the way mothers would have her.

Wanting to be closer to Washington, Rankin had bought a small farm in Georgia in 1924 to use between terms. She chose to live simply without electricity or running water. After she left politics, she traveled the world and especially looked at India and Mahatma Gandhi's teachings. She became popular again with a new generation advocating peace in the 60's and 70's. She died in May of 1973. She would have been 93 in June.

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