Harriet Chalmers Adams (1875-1937)
“I’ve wondered why men have so absolutely monopolized the field of exploration…I’ve never found my sex a hinderment; never faced a difficulty which a woman, as well as a man, could not surmount; never felt a fear of danger; never lacked courage to protect myself. I’ve been in tight places and have seen harrowing things.”
Harriet was an American explorer, photographer, and writer who, during her lifetime, traveled through South America, the South Pacific, and Asia. She even had accounts of her travels published in National Geographic. A few of her incredible adventures included retracing Columbus’s early trails in the Americas, crossing Haiti on horseback, and spending three years visiting South America. During World War I she worked as a correspondent of Harper’s Magazine and was the only woman allowed to visit the trenches. Last, but not least, Harriet helped found the Society of Woman Geographers.
