16. The first woman elected to Congress
Library of Congress/History.House.Gov
Rankin made a name for herself when she was elected to Congress in this extraordinary moment in history. After she became a social worker, she joined the suffrage movement. She became a professional lobbyist and helped the women of Montana gain rights in 1914. She went on to run for a Montana house seat just two years later. Even though many women thought she would lose and damage the progress they had made, she persisted and won. Maybe even more impressive than her winning the election is that she is known on record as the only member of congress to vote against both WWI and WWII.
