The young women of today, free to study, to speak, to write, to choose their occupation, should remember that every inch of this freedom was bought for them at a great price. It is for them to show their gratitude by helping onward the reforms of their own times by spreading the light of freedom and truth still wider. The debt that each generation owes to the past it must pay to the future.-Abigail Scott Duniway (1834-1915), founder and editor of the weekly New Northwest (founded 1871) and suffrage advocate in Oregon
In a series of biographical portraits and historical overviews, this audio tells the dramatic stories of dedicated American women from varied backgrounds. They paid their debts to past generations with interest and turned the setbacks they were faced with into opportunities. These women come from all walks of life, with backgrounds as diverse as journalism and publishing, electoral politics, public life, law, appointed public positions, and the military. Each of these women had to blaze a path in their respective fields, battling adversity in order to open doors for the women who followed in their footsteps.