Featured Book
The Time
Travelers
Meet some of the women who paved the way
for equal rights in California
Introduction to The Time Travelers
Women Who Changed California
In The Time Travelers, students meet women in California’s history who broke barriers in the battle for equality. The book is historically correct and imaginatively written to capture the attention of children in grades 4 through 6. The Time Travelers’ stories and profiles are designed to inform and inspire young readers regarding the backgrounds, motivations, determination and perseverance of the women highlighted. The history covered in The Time Travelers aligns with the State Board of Education’s recommended guidelines for 4th grade history lessons – specifically as to ‘…women who helped build California…’ and to ‘…important developments in the push-and-pull of California’s civil rights history…’
The authors are well-respected figures from media, legislative, and state government agency backgrounds. The Time Travelers features forward-thinking and courageous women who did not let the color of their skin, gender, or economic status stop them from fighting for political, educational, environmental, economic, and/or cultural equality.
Students will learn of real-life struggles against social and racial discrimination in the stories that will take them beyond the standard lessons of California’s missions and the Gold Rush.
The California State Library has included The Time Travelers on their CA 175 reading list. CA 175, created to celebrate California’s 175th Anniversary of statehood, covers material for all age groups relating to history, diversity, and culture.
The Time Travelers is made possible by a bequest from the estate of former California Secretary of State, March Fong Eu.
The Time Travelers
History Makers
Follow Mrs. Johnson’s class as they discover the remarkable women who paved the way for Equal Rights in California.
For school, library, non-profit or quantity discounts, please email thefriendsofcaarchives@gmail.com
Please include your name, name of organization, telephone contact, and number of copies desired.
To Wet your Whistle
Selected Excerpts from The Time Travelers
A sneak preview
Oh my! Pants!
On a cold February morning in 1989, Becky Morgan became the first woman in history to wear pants to work in the California State Senate. The Senate, which saw no women members until 1976, had a formal dress code…
The Buck Stops Here
Before Ivy Baker Priest was elected California Treasurer in 1966, she was the U.S. Treasurer. Her signature was on every dollar bill.
Right On!
“The true republic: Men, their rights, and nothing more;
Women, their rights, and nothing less.”
— Susan B. Anthony
“I was the first woman in history to have a baby while serving in Congress. Our daughter, Autumn , was born my second year there. We appeared together on the cover of Ebony magazine.”
— Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Note: PDF flyer displayed above — updated March 4, 2026
Interesting Fact
Laura de Force Gordon, the first woman in the U.S. to run a daily newspaper, was California’s second female attorney.