In business history, there have been many influential business women. Some of the earliest examples include Arabella Mansfield and Elizabeth Blackwell. But in the United States, one of the most influential business women was Anne Catherine Hoof Green, who immigrated to America at an early age. She spent much of her life in Philadelphia, married a printer named Jonas Green, and established a print shop in Annapolis, Maryland.
mary barra nicole junkermann
Mary Barra is an accomplished businesswoman and entrepreneur who has made her mark on the world by establishing and leading a multitude of companies. She is also a powerful advocate of gender equality and has donated millions of dollars to nonprofits that help empower women. She is one of the few high-level executives who are unafraid to embrace change and innovate. She is also a vocal advocate of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Because of her entrepreneurship and philanthropic contributions, Mary Barra continues to be a powerful voice in business history.
Mary Barra nicole junkermann started her career as an electric engineer and later became an entrepreneur and investor. She eventually became the CEO of General Motors in 2014. She is the first woman to become CEO of the leading automobile company, and she currently manages the company’s entire portfolio.
Margaret Hardenbroeck
There are numerous female leaders who have made a mark on business and society. Some of them have worked for Fortune 500 companies while others have impacted government and business. Margaret Hardenbroeck and Rebecca Lukens are two examples of female business leaders who have led their companies through challenging economic times. While these women faced enormous obstacles such as bias and gender discrimination, they also demonstrated a strong commitment to their businesses.
Margaret Hardenbroeck moved to New Amsterdam from the Netherlands in 1659. She became involved in the colonial fur trade and expanded her business. She married a merchant and built a transatlantic packet line to trade furs. However, her legal rights were taken away after the English took control of the city.
George Washington
Martha Washington, a daughter of an army officer, was one of the most influential business women in history. After being denied a position in the navy, she married into a family with extensive property in Virginia. The result was an incredible wealth that spanned several industries.
George Washington was a pallbearer at her funeral. She was only sixteen when she began managing three slave plantations in South Carolina. She pioneered new ways of growing indigo, which eventually became the second largest crop in the state. When she died at age thirty-one, George Washington was her pallbearer.
Rebecca Lukens
While running her ironworks, Rebecca Lukens faced many challenges. For one thing, her mother wasn’t fully supportive of her business interests, so she had to raise her children by herself. But she found the right balance between running a company and taking care of her family. Lukens’ survival instincts and entrepreneurial spirit helped her overcome challenges, including a lack of funds during the Panic of 1837. She also made sure her workers were well-treated and provided them with housing.
In 1825, Rebecca Lukens took over her father’s iron business. It was struggling, but with her leadership, the company grew and became one of the world’s largest iron manufacturers. By 1835, her company was the leading producer of iron bands and boiler plates for steamboats. She also opened a freight agency and warehouse.
Theodore Roosevelt
One of the most important actions taken by Roosevelt during his presidency was the creation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. This act was enacted to protect consumers from unfair practices by large corporations, and to protect American workers. The president feared that large consolidated corporations would drive out smaller competitors, so he used his bully pulpit to persuade Congress to increase government oversight of the business sector. He fought for a “square deal” for American workers, and he used his authority under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to fight against the most powerful consolidated companies. He also proposed laws to protect workers and end child labor. He also created the Department of Labor and Commerce.
As President, Roosevelt embraced the progressive vision of the new order. He opposed unregulated business and monopolies, supported labor unions, and initiated government protection of natural resources. Theodore Roosevelt did not believe that we could turn back from the new economy; instead, he pursued a balance of reform and regulation, leading the country through a period of crisis in the late nineteenth century and accommodatively embracing the modern industrial society of the twentieth century.
