Land of Opportunity?

One criticism of history as it is normally taught today is that its seems to be the study of rich white men and their decisions. I could name dozens of European American men that have been influential in Hudson River history, but fewer Native Americans, African Americans, and women. The only woman that has played a significant role in our study of the river so far is Jane Colden, who was the first female botanist in America. Jane's written descriptions of the plants in the Lower Hudson River Valley was famous for its eloquence and exhaustive detail. She also developed a method for making ink impressions of leaves, which was probably necessary considering that her sketching abilities were, as Tom Lewis author of The Hudson writes, merely "basic renderings."

Colden's story is encouraging because she was a woman who achieved so many great things at a time when that was unlikely. It was her connections and her work for her father that allowed her to get involved in the field of botany. If she had been the daughter of a small farmer or a shopkeeper, this would have been nearly impossible. The United States was the land of opportunity in the sense that there was land available and the freedom to follow economic pursuits - if you were of the right race and gender. Colden's story is a reminder of just how far we have come, and I feel lucky to live in a time where the right to education reaches to more and more sections of society.