LEADERS

LEADERS
Women through the ages
Hatshepsut, queen of Egypt, 15th century B.C.:Pharaoh of Egypt whose reign was characterized by peace and promotion of trade and the arts.
Sammuramat, Assyrian queen, 9th century B.C.:The wife and mother of kings who accompanied her husband into battle, expanded Babylonia's territorial control, irrigated the plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and refurbished Babylon.
Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, 69-30 B.C.: A highly educated ruler, she struggled to keep her country free by forming alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. She financed Anthony's military campaigns, but both she and he were eventually defeated by Octavian. She bore a son with Caesar and had three children with Anthony.
Joan of Arc, 1412-31, leader of the French army:Canonized in 1920, she led the army of Charles VII in battle against the English, raising their siege of Orleans. She was eventually tried on charges of witchcraft and fraud. Convicted only of wearing men's clothing, an offense against the church, she was burned at the stake.
Isabella I, 1451-1504, queen of Spain:Unified Spain and financed the expedition in 1492, led by Christopher Columbus and widely credited as the discovery of America.
Catherine de Medici, 1519-1589, queen of France:Tried to reconcile opposing Catholic and Protestant factions in France, which threatened the country's unity. With the massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1570, peace was shattered and she was blamed for allowing it to happen.
Elizabeth I, 1533-1603, queen of England:Promoted government reforms and education, strengthened the currency, and defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Under her leadership, England became a world power, a vibrant commercial force and a center of intellectual accomplishment.
Amina, 1560-1610, Nigerian queen:As head of the city-state of Zaria she opened trade routes that enriched her community. She was also instrumental in banding other city-states together and encouraging them to enclose themselves by erecting monstrous walls for defensive purposes.
Mbande Nzinga, 1582-1663, Angolan queen: Organized a guerrilla army to battle the Portuguese, conquered the Matamba, formed alliances to control slave routes and eventually negotiated a peace treaty with the Portuguese.
Catherine the Great, 1729-96, empress of Russia:Orchestrated the death of her husband to become sole ruler of Russia and then promoted reforms in law, education and provincial and municipal administration.
Golda Meir, 1898-1978, prime minister of Israel: Supported large-scale immigration to Israel and major housing and construction programs.
Indira Gandhi, 1917-1984, prime minister of India:Supported India's independence, and pushed for the nationalization of banks and land reform.
Sources: Women in History Curriculum; World Book Inc.; Gale Group