Transportation has long been considered a man's field, but throughout time, women have made significant contributions to the transportation industry and laid the groundwork for future innovation. Women have worked in every mode of transportation, and in every type of job, from legislative and managerial positions to maintenance work. Since the time when travel was dominated by walking, horse-drawn carriages, and sailing ships, through the era of the railroads and automobiles, and now as aviation pushes into the frontiers of space, women have been part of the innovations, explorations, and manufacturing of transportation. Moreover, women have made these contributions to the transportation industry and to American society despite the fact they did not receive the right to vote until the 19th amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920. This guide describes innovative and remarkable women who have pioneered and succeeded in a predominantly male field. In this document, the coverage of different transportation modes is uneven. The easiest to find and largest quantity of research material is on women in aviation, beginning with Harriet Quimby. There is still much work to be done to research and document the many contributions women have made in this and other fields of transportation. More research needs to be conducted at the U.S. Patent Office, and the contributions of women at the major automobile manufacturers today should also be documented. It is hoped that this resource document is only the first step in a long process to preserve the history of women in transportation.
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