WOMEN’S PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries science was a young enterprise forging new institutions and norms.
The exclusion of women was not a foregone conclusion. Several avenues into scientific work existed for women before
the stringent formalization of science in the nineteenth century. As a result a number of women were trained and ready
to take their place in the sciences.” Londa Schiebinger, Has Feminism Changed Science? (1999)

Among the women who made early contributions to science and technology were Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673)
who wrote six books on natural philosophy.  Emelie du Chatelet (1706-1749) was an accomplished mathematician
and physicist translated Newton’s work for a French audience.  Marian Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was a leading
entomologist of the eighteenth century.  Between 1650 and 1710, 14% of German astronomers were women.

 However, over time science became more and more a men’s club.  In the seventeenth century membership in the French
Academie Royale des Science was limited to 40, so it was unlikely that room could be found for a woman.  None was
elected to full membership until the 20^th century.  The Royal Society of London did not elect a woman to full membership
until 1945.  While women of social rank did become members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, it was 1949 before the
first was elected purely on the basis of her scientific contributions.