March 1-31, 2021. It started off as a day, then a week, now a whole month. This month is officially Women’s History Month. It originated as International Women’s Day (March 8th), recognized by the world back in 1911; then in 1980, US President Jimmy Carter declared Women’s History Week to align with International Women’s Day; and finally in 1987, Congress declared March as Women’s History Month in the United States. This month we take time to honor and encourage the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Women like Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad’s best known conductor who guided nearly 70 enslaved people north to new lives of freedom or Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to become a member of the U.S. Congress or Martha Graham, considered one of the pioneering founders of American modern dance. Alternatively, take a look at the virtual exhibit (pictured above), “From the Suffrage to the new Millennium”, at the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York. Women’s History Month is the time to commemorate and recognize women’s achievements and successes.