It included biographies of women considered noteworthy because of their actions in the church, at the bar, in literature and music, in art, drama, science and invention or in social and political reform philanthropy.

Sarah Josepha Hale had created a similar work in 1853[5] titled Woman's Record: Sketches of All Distinguished Women, from the Creation to A.D.

[6] That work was not limited to 19th century American women but did include 2,500 biographies, with an index running for twenty pages.

[6]: xv–xxxiv The biographies in this work were intended to include all facts worth mentioning to create an educational record of the lives of American 19th century women.

The editors intended that the book would entertain and educate the readers about important women and their role in America's history.