Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History

A Midwinter Conversation with Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and President & CEO Ryan J. Woods

Thursday, January 29, 2026 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Join us as we honor Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich with an American Ancestors Lifetime Achievement Award in American History. The event will feature a conversation between Dr. Ulrich and American Ancestors President & CEO Ryan J. Woods on the importance of genealogy within the greater field of history and how forgotten stories enrich the human narrative.  

Hear from the woman who coined the celebrated phrase “well-behaved women seldom make history,” and discuss the influence every person and their story has on history.

Notable works by Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich include:

• A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary, 1785–1812, which inspired the novel The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History
• Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750

If you are interested in sponsoring this event click here for more details!

This virtual event will be conducted via Zoom. Access to a personal device and internet connection are required to participate. If you are unable to join the broadcast for any reason, a full recording of the event will be available shortly after its completion.

Proceeds from Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History: A Midwinter conversation with Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and President & CEO Ryan J. Woods help fund our groundbreaking work of enriching the human narrative through telling the stories of women and 'ordinary' individuals not commonly highlighted in history. 

In Conversation

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is 300th Anniversary University Professor emerita at Harvard University. She is the author of seven books including A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary, 1785–1812 and Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History, exploring the popular phrase which she coined. She has received numerous awards and honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1991.

Ryan J. Woods is President and CEO of American Ancestors. An educator and historian, he has his dedicated professional life to developing experiences that educate, inspire, and connect people through the exploration of history, heritage, and culture. Ryan has recruited more than 1 billion searchable records to AmericanAncestors.org and, most recently, overseen the launch of the 10 Million Names Project and our new national headquarters and visitor center including the Family Heritage Experience at 97 Newbury Street in Boston. Among many leadership roles, he serves as a commissioner for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Gold Benefactors 

David and Jean Kruger

Bronze Benefactors 

Bonnie A. Reilly

Helen E. R. and DuWayne Sayles