The Richest Woman in America

The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age
by Janet Wallach Upper Level New Book - BIO Green

Hetty Green should be at the top of the list of feminist icons. From the 1870's until her death in 1916, she exemplified the feminist ideal in many ways; she ran her own business, lived her life her by her own rules, and went down to Wall Street every morning and beat the men at their own game on their own turf. Her business acumen earned the respect of contemporaries such as J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie. She saved New York City from bankrupcy several times by loaning it money at below-market rates. And yet if she is remembered today at all, it is as "the witch of Wall Street", one of history's biggest misers.

In "The Richest Woman in America" Janet Wallach traces Hetty Green's life back to her Quaker upbringing that put her forever at odds with the media's idea of how women of her class should behave. They couldn't comprehend her plain personal tastes in someone with so much money. She simply didn't care about stylish gowns, opulent mansions, and lavish parties. And they mocked her relentlessly for it, ignoring the millions she spent building libraries and hospitals, endowing colleges, and helping those who genuinely needed it.

Hetty Green isn't remembered as one of the great american proto-feminists and iconoclasts because she never had time for the movement's marches and speeches and publicity stunts. She was too busy living the life that they wanted women to have the opportunity to lead. A fascinating life ably chronicled by Janet Wallach.