Women Explorers: From the Women Explorers: From the Vikings to SpaceVikings to Space

What is an explorer?What is an explorer?

►The famous explorers in history The famous explorers in history books were usually the leaders of books were usually the leaders of expeditions to find new places.expeditions to find new places.

These expeditions usually included These expeditions usually included many other people—soldiers, sailors, many other people—soldiers, sailors, cartographers, scientists, guides, cartographers, scientists, guides, cooks, and even musicians. They cooks, and even musicians. They were explorers too.were explorers too.

Some of them were women.Some of them were women.

The earliest adventurers from The earliest adventurers from Europe to America included Europe to America included

womenwomen

Women Sometimes Led Women Sometimes Led Exploring Expeditions—the Exploring Expeditions—the

VikingsVikings►Freydis Eiriksdottir was the daughter Freydis Eiriksdottir was the daughter

of Erik the Red.of Erik the Red.►She commanded an expedition to She commanded an expedition to

Greenland and Vinland in 1000.Greenland and Vinland in 1000.

Did women ever sail with the Did women ever sail with the Spanish explorers?Spanish explorers?

►We don’t know for sure. But women, We don’t know for sure. But women, sometimes dressed as men, often sometimes dressed as men, often sailed on European ships.sailed on European ships.

►Women traveled Women traveled

as religious pilgrims, as religious pilgrims,

as settlers, sometimesas settlers, sometimes

even as pirates.even as pirates.We know that women traveled through the American Southwest with Coronado.

Catalina de Erauso: Catalina de Erauso: A Spanish ExplorerA Spanish Explorer

To escape becoming a nun, she dressed as a boy and sailed to America as a cabin boy in about 1608.

When she was older, she dressed as a man and became a swordsman in the Spanish army.She called herself Antonio.

With the army, she joined expeditions to Peru and Argentina.

Later she worked as a mule caravan driver

on a route between Mexico and South America.

We know what Catalina de We know what Catalina de Erauso looked like because she Erauso looked like because she

had her portrait painted in 1630.had her portrait painted in 1630.

Some Women Served as Some Women Served as Scientists on Exploring Scientists on Exploring

Expeditions Expeditions •Jeanne Baret, from France, wanted to see the world.

•Wearing a man’s clothes—and giving her name as Jean Bare—she sailed on a voyage to the South Pacific in 1768 as a naturalist.

Later she explored Mauritius and Madagascar in Africa

Jeanne Baret was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Some Women Worked as Guides Some Women Worked as Guides on Exploring Expeditions--on Exploring Expeditions--

SacagaweaSacagawea

Sacagawea was captured by the Hidatsas

Born in a Shoshone village,like this one,

and sold to the Mandans.

When her husband was hiredby Lewis and Clark to be their guide, Sacagawea and her baby went too.

She worked as an interpreter and helped the company find good food and medicines along the way.

She also gathered food, cooked, and sewed clothes for the company. One day, she saved Clark’s scientific instruments from being washed overboard in a storm.

Like all the other members of Lewis and Clark’s company, Sacagawea voted on where to spend the winter in 1806 after the company had reached the Pacific coast.

We don’t know what Sacagawea looked like, but Many artists have drawn or painted what she may have looked like.

But she is one of the best remembered early American explorers.

Sacagawea’s picture is on the dollar coin.

Can you find her in this sculpture?

In the 1800s and 1900s, In the 1800s and 1900s, many more women began many more women began

to lead exploring to lead exploring expeditions to explore expeditions to explore

places like Africa, Asia, and places like Africa, Asia, and Canada.Canada.

Here are just a few . . .

Lady Anne BluntLady Anne Blunt

Explored Saudi Arabia

Mary KingsleyMary Kingsley

Explored West Africa

Alexandra David-NeelAlexandra David-NeelFrench—Explored Tibet inthe early 20th century

Gertrude BellGertrude Bell-An archaeologist, Gertrude Bell explored the Middle East.

-She helped establish Iraq as a nation, drafting laws that made sure women could get an education.

-The British Royal Geographic Society gave her agold medal for exploration.

The American Trans-Arctic The American Trans-Arctic TeamTeam

In 1992-1993, Ann Bancroft led a team of four women explorers on an expedition tocross Antarctica on skis.

For 67 days, the four women pulled 200-pound sledsAnd skiied across Antarctica.

The American Women’s Trans-Artic Expedition(AWE) made it to the South Pole in 1993.

In 2001, Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen became the first women in history to ski and sail across Antarctica.

Ann Bancroft won the 2008 Women of Discovery Courage Awardfor her expeditions in Antarctica.

Explorers are Explorers are discoverers.discoverers.

►Some explorers look for new places, Some explorers look for new places, as we have seen.as we have seen.►Some expand what we know about Some expand what we know about science.science.

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the firstperson to win two Nobel Prizes. She won the Prize in both Physicsand in Chemistry for her work with radioactive materials and her discovery of the element polonium.

Marie Curie

Jane GoodallJane Goodall

Jane Goodall spent her life studying chimpanzees in Tanzania.

She has won many honors, including becoming a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Some famous women explorers Some famous women explorers were pilots or aviators.were pilots or aviators.

Amelia Earhart: -First woman to fly alone across North America & back. (1928) -First woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean (1932)

-First person to fly alone from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, CA (1935)

-Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Congress (1932)

Today, some women explorers Today, some women explorers learn about—or visit—outer learn about—or visit—outer

space.space.Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, in 1963,from the Soviet Union.

Sally Ride, the first Americanwoman to fly in space, in 1983.

Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina tofly in space, in 1993.

You can learn a lot more about You can learn a lot more about women explorers!women explorers!

On the internet:On the internet: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/women.shtmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/women.shtml

Books:Books: Women of Discovery: A Celebration of Intrepid Women Who Women of Discovery: A Celebration of Intrepid Women Who

Explored the WorldExplored the World

Women Who Dare: Women ExplorersWomen Who Dare: Women Explorers

How High Can We Climb? The Story of Women Explorers How High Can We Climb? The Story of Women Explorers (very good book for kids)(very good book for kids)

Extraordinary Women ExplorersExtraordinary Women Explorers (also good for kids) (also good for kids)