We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence (original) (raw)

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we're exploring how generations of diverse women have experienced a key concept in American history: independence. Through a multi-faceted oral history project focused on the last 50 years, We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence will explore when, how, and why women have sought independence in their own lives, through the lens of economic power.

The notion of independence and the meaning of economic power has resonated differently across varied groups and time periods—for instance, interdependence and connectivity are key values in many communities, and therefore supporting family or communal goals is more important than individual wishes. Oral histories allow us to hear directly from women about their varied experiences with independence and the ways in which finances and economic issues are connected to this influential concept. By listening to diverse women’s voices and contextualizing their experiences, we can begin to understand the multiple meanings of a word so familiar to Americans. We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence will unfold over the next year and a half, featuring several dozen oral histories and community stories of women from across the country, accompanied by public programming and educational resources, and culminating in an online interactive experience during the country’s semiquincentennial in the summer of 2026.

Our exploration of the meaning of economic independence kicks off with four oral history interviews conducted by curator Rachel Seidman. These interviews focus on a singular moment in time in the 1970s when women were pushing for and expanding their economic opportunities. October 28, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which made it illegal for banks to discriminate against women applying for loans based on their sex or marital status. Amended in 1976 to extend its protections to include race, color, religion, national origin, age, and receipt of public assistance, ECOA fundamentally changed women’s ability to access credit and capital and shifted their relationship to the banking industry.