Inspirational Quotes by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (American Historian)

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (b.1938) is a Pulitzer-winning historian known for her work on early American and women’s history.

Born in Sugar City, Idaho, she studied at the University of Utah, Simmons University, and the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a PhD in history. Ulrich held prestigious academic positions, including a professorship at Harvard University. She also served as president of the American Historical Association (2009–10) and the Mormon History Association (2014–15.)

She gained prominence with A Midwife’s Tale (1990,) which won the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes. Based on the diary of 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard, the book provides a detailed account of women’s lives in early America and was adapted into a PBS documentary.

Ulrich is widely recognized for coining the phrase “Well-behaved women seldom make history” in a 1976 scholarly article. The phrase became a cultural phenomenon, appearing on merchandise and inspiring discussions on women’s contributions to history.

Her Other notable works include Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650–1750 (1982;) The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth (2001;) and Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History (2007.)

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