250 to 250: 10. Women's Armed Services Integration Act, Narrated by Representative Chrissy Houlahan

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Women's Armed Services Integration Act, Narrated by Representative Chrissy Houlahan

U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, engineer, entrepreneur, and educator who is continuing her career of service as the first woman ever to represent Pennsylvania's 6th District in Congress. Representative Houlahan shares how the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, proposed by Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith, changed the military forever.

Before World War II, women served in the U.S. military only during wars.

• Women could not be permanent members of the military.
• They did not receive all the same military benefits as men.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower supported giving women permanent military status.

In 1948, U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith proposed a new law.

• Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act.
• The law allowed women to serve as permanent members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
• The law created more opportunities for women in the military.
• Many women served because of the efforts of leaders like Senator Smith.

Today, nearly 400,000 women serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• More than 2 million women are military veterans.
• Women have made important contributions to the defense of the United States.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:25. Have you EVER served in the U.S. armed forces?
• USCIS 100:24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
• USCIS 128:107. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one. 

Family Fun

• A Mighty Girl: Spies, Medics, Soldiers, & Peacemakers: 16 Women Wartime Heroes You Should Know
• American Legion: Fun Facts about Women in the Military
• Arlington Cemetary: Women in the Military Activity Packet
• Military Women's Memorial: Education Resources (many lesson plans and online exhibits)
• National Archives: Military Resources: Women in the Military
• Nation WWII Museum, New Orleans: Our War, Too (many lesson plans and online exhibits)
• Truman Library: Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948