Entering Her Heritage, a biographical encyclopedia of American women, is a little like walking into a deserted portrait gallery where the only sounds are your shoes clicking on the parquet. If you don't mind the lack of a sound track on this CD-ROM, a fascinating tour awaits.
Socialites and spies, politicians and pioneers, explorers and editors are among the 1,000 women profiled in the well-researched biographies. Sure, the rich and famous are here, but the majority of the names and faces are unfamiliar and nearly forgotten by history.
You can learn about Deborah Sampson, who in 1782 disguised herself as a man so she could enlist as a private in the Revolutionary War. She served undetected for more than a year. After being hit by a musket ball in one battle, she dressed the wound herself to avoid discovery. Her secret was revealed when she later became ill and had to be hospitalized. Eventually, Congress granted her a full veteran's pension.
Then there is Elizabeth Blackwell, who as a medical student in 1847 was ostracized and harassed by the male students, and even banished for a time from classroom demonstrations. Despite those obstacles, she became the first woman in the United States to graduate from medical school (first in her class, no less).
Virtually all the biographies feature a photograph of the subject, and some include a film or newsreel clip. For instance, you can watch a clip of suffragist Jeannette Rankin, who in 1916 became the first woman elected to Congress (she represented Montana in the House), or a newsreel of Gertrude Ederle slicing through choppy waves on her way to becoming the first and fastest person to swim the English Channel. There's footage of Annie Oakley showing off her skill with a rifle, and a news report of Wilma Rudolph racing toward gold medals in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
The criteria for inclusion, however, seem puzzling. The Artists and Entertainers category, for example, lists film actresses from the silent era to the present, but the past two Best Actress Oscar winners -- Holly Hunter and Jessica Lange -- are absent. Also, categorizations are questionable: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is listed among socialites, while Oprah Winfrey is included among journalists.
The disc's developer, Pilgrim New Media, claims that Her Heritage is the first CD-ROM to speak to women about women. The beautifully designed interface and supremely navigable database make learning about these inspiring women a pleasure.
