Thousands of women made the journey West, and while some lived their lives according to the social norms expected of them, others challenged them. Ranger Karen Stoeber explores the cultural norms of the mid-1800s as well as the “cult of true womanhood,” and highlights several women who stepped out of their expected roles in order to survive during this often tough and dangerous era.

Saturdays in March, Gateway Arch National Park hosts special programs that spotlight 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century women of Missouri and the West in honor of Women’s History Month. These family-based programs will take place in the Education Classroom located on the lower level of the Gateway Arch Visitor Center, and are free and open to all ages.