american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. to join the conversation like us on facebook at c-span history. on april 2, 1917, jeannette rankin of montana was sworn in as the first woman elected to the u.s. congress. to mark the centennial, here is a brief look at her life and career. >> the story of women in congress begins with jeanette rankin who is elected to the house in 1916 from montana. foris elected to the house years before women have the right to vote nationally. in a way, she is really a bridge between the suffrage movement, two women attaining full political rights. in a national women's suffrage organization. rightlped women get the

to vote, not only in montana, but a couple of states west of the mississippi. she runs in 1916, she is elected to one of montana's large districts. is at sher platform is a pacifist. she is one into the house on april 2, 1917. the house has come into special session, extraordinary session has the president, that night woodrow wilson delivers a message to congress asking for a declaration of war against germany, it was the u.s. entry into world war i. ,ankin, when that vote is held is one of a group of about 50 members who votes against u.s. intervention in world war i. ,he served a term in the house she was on the woman's suffrage on the public was lands committee, which was an important assignment from -- for

a woman from montana with so much of the land being held by the federal government. she serves only a term and a house. she tries to run for senate for montana. she does not get the republican nomination, but she runs as an independent. it is an uphill battle and she gets about a fifth of the vote. she goes back to private life and is involved in women's rights issues. she is a driving force behind the shepherd counter maternity and infant act which the house eventually passes in 1921. she is also involved in international peace organizations. fast-forward to 1940, she runs for congress again, and she runs on a platform to keep the u.s. out of the war in europe.

she is faced on december 8, 1941 with a tremendous vote. this is the day after pearl harbor, fdr has come to the house chamber and addressed a joint session of congress. president roosevelt: 1941, ay, december 7, date which will live in infamy. >> the senate goes back to its chamber and very quickly, unanimously passes a war resolution and the house begins debating, and the house members know that jeannette rankin is a pacifist and she will vote her conscious. conscience. hurtrs recall going up to not know.te present, she is the lone vote against entry into world war ii.

that effectively ended her political career. life,es back into private in the is a force antiwar movement for another couple decades. but a remarkable career. in 2004 we commissioned a new portrait of jeannette rankin. she was a person who is so important in the history and expansion of rights and representation in congress. when we commissioned it, we wanted to show what it was like to come in to congress as the first woman, when women do not even have the right to vote nationally. because it was the 20th century, elected,7 when she is there is a lot of newspaper coverage. because she is a woman, it is something of a novelty soap there is a lot of newspaper coverage of what she is wearing. we know exactly what she is wearing. the portrait shows her in that

navy blue dress. we know she was wearing a blue dress. we know what the "washington post" said. they have her holding the "washington post." she is wearing the hat and placed in that portrait just outside the chamber doors. if we were to enter into that space with her, she would just about to -- she would be just about to turn to her right, at -- at which point she would take off her hat. hats were not worn in the chamber, even though there was discussion of if she should wear a hat since she is a woman. or is she a woman of congress and not have to wear it. she is a member of congress more than she is her gender, militarily, so she takes it off. all of those things we wanted to put in that portrait, as well is the sense of the fact that she was in the house, but much more a creature of her other

interests. pacifism, suffrage, all of the issues that were important to her. it was a somewhat lonely spot to be and to be the only woman, and to also take the stance of conscious that put her at odds with other people. where history unfolds daily. as a79, c-span was created public service by america's cable television companies. byis brought to you today your cable or satellite provider. coming up in about five minutes on our weekly program on the presidency, kathleen discusses the way in which florence harding said new presidents as first lady. she is the author of first lady florence harding, behind the tragedy and controversy. here is background on her husband, president warren

harding. ♪ he was mr. nice guy, a people person, fond of children and dogs. meet people, it is the most pleasant thing i do. it is really the only fun i have. but some might say war in harding liked people too much, his good nature trust in others -- when the public discovered that members were trying to get rich behind. he was a womanizer who engaged in at least two extramarital affairs. one of which may have resulted in a birth of a daughter. public theounted in following words of his father george. >> warren, it is a good thing you were not born a gal, you cannot say no. he grew up in ohio where he

was born seven months after lincoln was shot. while still a teenager he joined two friends in purchasing a struggling newspaper. was a success, and he soon gained full ownership. when he was 25 he married florence, a divorced mother who joined her new husband in building his newspaper enterprise. she also supported his political ambition. a made a failed bid for failed bid for county auditor in 1892, but six years later one ac in the ohio senate, serving two terms before coming to states lieutenant government -- governor. his good looks and easy manner cup attention of a well-connected political advisor named harry. he helped him win a senate seat the914 or it -- 1914 and presidential nomination.

he went on to win the white house with an unprecedented majority of the popular vote. once in office he was quick to admit his limitations. know what to do or where to turn. somewhere there must be a book that tells all about it. this is a hell of a place for a man like me to be in. >> the public for gave harding. he and his wife are tremendously popular in the white house. she shared her husband's affinity for meeting people. shaking almost 7000 hands in a single afternoon. his time in office. as president he played golf, watch these ball and hosted poker games with a group of officeholders he dubbed his poker. additional pastimes included stepping out with other women. after his death, his mistress

scandalize the nation of alleging that the former president have fathered her child. it brought a measure of -- he brought a measure of honor to the office and became the first president to advocate civil rights for blacks on southern soil. he established the budget bureau. he pardon labor leader and protester eugene. his efforts were ultimately overshadowed by the activities of certain appointees in his administration who were secretly engaging in -- without his knowledge. their actions resulted in a series of scandals that unfolded after his presidency. the most notorious involve the oil reserves in wyoming. house of shady white dealings had just begin to surface when harding and his wife left washington for a cross-country tour in june of his second summer of presidency.

his heart begin to fail during the trip. and san francisco the president suffered from what is believed to have in congestive heart failure. he died august 2, 1923 after listening to his wife read him a magazine article on his presidency. his reported last words were, that is good, go on, read some more. he was 57. there is a new radiance. >> next on american history tv, katherine sibley discusses how florence harding said the president as first lady by advocating for causes such as veterans assistance and animal rights. she also talks about how the presence of fails -- presidents

affairs affected the first lady. on hercussion focuses book. the center for presidential history in dallas hosted this hour-long event you'd -- event. sibley is a director at southwestern university in consulting and. she teaches world history and african-american history. she has published six books, most recently editing a companion to first lady's. include red spies and legitimacyns and a book