The Most Famouse American Female In United States History

[W. Gray]

Who is the most famous American female in history? 

Many people could readily select someone as a choice. Suppose for arguments sake one selected Eleanor Roosevelt. However, what would be the criteria used to justify Eleanor Roosevelt, or any other woman, as the most famous? What would be the measurement used to conclude that any one woman is the most famous in US history?

A proven method does exist in determining just how famous a person is. It is centuries old and quite effective.

Nations usually erect statutes to their most famous and most revered citizens. The more famous and revered the person is the more statues may be erected.

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert E. Lee, and many others have many statues. 

If one uses statues as criteria for famousness, then one can easily decide who the most famous American female is.

There is a female having nineteen statues erected in her honor. Since I saw that figure several years ago, it has slightly increased by three or four but I do not have the exact figure.

Who is this woman?


Her nickname was Janey.

Her husband was born in France.

She became famous as result of her employment under contract to the US government. 

The federal government wanted her but had to contract with her husband in order to get her. Her husband contributed some but was essentially a "hanger on."

During the time of her hire, she became a parent. However, she had not yet reached age of majority. Without doing anything, that male offspring has a US national monument named for him rather than his mother.

Her two government superior's names are household words. 

It has been said that many schoolchildren in the US and overseas mistakenly recognize her superiors' names as forming a name for one person.

There was no connection between her federal employment and a wartime endeavor. However, a spy directly endangered her work. The highest-ranking general officer in the US military was a spy for another country.

The country for which the general was spying was not specifically aware of whom she was, however that country twice sent a military force to intercept her and the people she was working with, failing both times.

Her superiors publicly recognized her enormous importance to the United States of America. However, she received no awards.

Several years after leaving government contract service, her last whereabouts was St. Louis, Missouri.

Years later, when the US finally officially recognized her service, most everyone soundly rejected the remembrance to her. Chances are that includes everyone on this forum.

One of her superiors became a governor but killed himself in his early thirties. Officially, authorities ruled suicide, but some claim murder. Some even suspect the previously mentioned spy, who years earlier had been implicated in a failed plot to overthrow the US government.

The other superior became a general officer.

Who is this most famous woman with nineteen statues erected in her honor?

[Janet Harrington]

I have no idea.

[kdfrawg]

Sounds like Sacagawea to me.

[Diane Amberg]

 There is definitely trickery afoot with this. Lots of red (dead) herrings. I think this female might not be human?     Justice? Liberty? The alphabet?   Lady luck?   The telephone... the government    I'll probably kick myself later but I give up.

[Bonnie M.]

Sounds like Sacagawea to me.

I vote with "Kermit!"  I didn't know how to spell it, though!

[Wilma]

I would most certainly say it is Sacajawea.  Pretty soon I will go get my book about her and see if her nickname was Janey.

[frawin]

There are 23 Statues of Sacagawea so I agree with the others it is Sacagawea. I didn't come up with the answer just checked out what the others had.
Frank

[W. Gray]

Well, this sure did not get very far did it?

The frog is correct.  I would like to say that this is the first time anyone has come up with the correct answer and it did not take Kermit long.

When hearing the answer about half the audience says "Who?!" and the other half says "Well, that makes sense." Her name is not a household word but everyone is aware of what she did.

She was Shoshone but was kidnapped by the Sioux at an early age and was living in a Mandan Sioux village at the time she met Lewis and Clark. She was one of three wives of the Frenchman.

The reason she has had more statues added is because of the recent Lewis and Clark celebrations.

She was also involved in a most amazing coincidence. When the expedition arrived in Montana she was trying to negotiate horses for the Lewis and Clark expedition by haggling with the Shoshone chief. One of her uses to the expedition was she spoke Shoshone. At some point in negotiation, she stopped and began to cry. She had suddenly realized the chief was her brother. She had not seen him since childhood.

Other answers are in [brackets] below.

Who is the most famous American female? 

Many people could readily select someone as a choice. Suppose for arguments sake one selected Eleanor Roosevelt. However, what would be the criteria used to justify Eleanor Roosevelt, or any other woman, as the most famous? What would be the measurement used to conclude that any one woman is the most famous in US history?

A proven method does exist in determining just how famous a person is. It is centuries old and quite effective.

Nations usually erect statutes to their most famous and most revered citizens. The more famous and revered the person is the more statues may be erected.

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert E. Lee, and many others have many statues. 

If one uses statues as criteria for famousness, then one can easily decide who the most famous American female is.

There is a female having nineteen statues erected in her honor. Since I saw that figure several years ago, it has slightly increased by three or four but I do not have the exact figure.

Who is this woman? [Sacajawea or Sacagawea--both spellings are acceptable]


Her nickname was Janey [Given to her by Lewis and Clark].

Her husband was born in France [Pierre Charbonneau].

She became famous as result of her employment under contract to the US government [to guide the Lewis and Clark Expedition but they actually picked her up in Minnesota or the Dakotas and dropped her off there]. 

The federal government wanted her but had to contract with her husband in order to get her. Her husband contributed some but was essentially a "hanger on." [Women could not enter into contracts plus she was Indian. The government paid the husband for her services.]

During the time of her hire, she became a parent. However, she had not yet reached age of majority. Without doing anything, that male offspring has a US national monument named for him rather than his mother. [Jean Batiste Charbonneau also called Pompey. Pompey's Pillar is a national monument in Montana east of Billings]

Her two government superior's names are household words. [Lewis and Clark]

It has been said that many schoolchildren in the US and overseas mistakenly recognize her superiors' names as forming a name for one person. [Lewis Clark]

There was no connection between her federal employment and a wartime endeavor. However, a spy directly endangered her work. The highest-ranking general officer in the US military was a spy for another country. [General James Wilkinson, Chief of Staff US Army]

The country for which the general was spying [Spain] was not specifically aware of whom she was, however that country twice sent a military force to intercept her and the people she was working with, failing both times. [Note that Spain invaded US territory and it was a deadly force]

Her superiors publicly recognized her enormous importance to the United States of America. However, she received no awards.

Several years after leaving government contract service, her last whereabouts was St. Louis, Missouri. [In 1811 on the streets of St Louis. Officially she died in 1812 but there are the usual stories of her living to be an old woman. Her grave is under water.]

Years later, when the US finally officially recognized her service, most everyone soundly rejected the remembrance to her. [Sacajawea gold colored dollar coin] Chances are that includes everyone on this forum.

One of her superiors became a governor but killed himself in his early thirties. [Meriwether Lewis] Officially, authorities ruled suicide, but some claim murder. Some even suspect the previously mentioned spy, who years earlier had been implicated in a failed plot to overthrow the US government.[Newburg Conspiracy]

The other superior became a general officer. [William Clark]

Who is this most famous woman with nineteen statues erected in her honor?

[Diane Amberg]

 Well, I am humbled and amazed. I did consider Sacajawea for a time because of her child's birth, the death of Meriwether Lewis, and all the recent Lewis and Clark publicity, but I knew nothing about the husband and all the spy business. I didn't know she had a nick name. I forgot about the coin and knew nothing about St. Louis or her death. I had no idea there were that many statues honoring her. Very, very interesting. Kermit, you got it so fast!  May I sit at your knee and learn?  I am in total awe of you. And Waldo....What an interesting history lesson. Thank you.

[kdfrawg]

By the time I read it through, I was pretty sure, so I impulsively typed in the answer. After I had posted it I looked at the spelling and it didn't look quite right. So I went and looked up the lady in question and darned if I hadn't used an "alternate spelling" I'd never heard of before. So I left it. The answer came from the immense amount of incredibly useless knowledge that just seems to stick to my brain tissue, whether I want it to or not. The spelling came from dumb luck.