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Jeannette Rankin (1880)close

Born in Missoula, Montana, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman to serve in either house of the United States Congress. She was elected in 1916, a time when most states did not even permit women to vote. While serving as a member of Congress, she introduced legislation in support of government sponsored prenatal and child-care education for women. Her decision to vote against US entry into World War I and World II, particularly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, ended her political career.

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