March is women’s history month! With statistics showing that firearm ownership amongst women is on the rise (about half of all gun purchases between 2019 and 2021 were made by women), we wanted to highlight three famous ladies that carry – and how owning a firearm changed their lives.
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley is perhaps one of the most famous female sharpshooters in American history. Her claim to fame came from her incredible shooting performances whilst on tour for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows, but she also used her marksmanship skills for survival. Oakley was born in a rural Ohio county in 1860, where she was already trapping game at the age of 5 to help her family earn money.
Sadly, just a few years later, her father passed away after a case of pneumonia. Little Annie had no time to grieve, and immediately took ownership of one of her father’s firearms to hunt animals in woods and fields. She would sell the game to local shopkeepers and restaurants to help keep her family afloat. As an adult, she used her talents to raise money for the Red Cross during WWI by giving shooting demonstrations at various army camps in the United States. Her commitment to service never wavered; eventually, she became a shooting teacher, too.
By 1922, Annie Oakley had trained more than 10,000 women and girls on how to use firearms. She was most known for her cautious and no-nonsense methods, always beginning her lessons on how to safely operate a firearm. Concerning her mentorship, Oakley had said, “I have been teaching women to shoot for many years at Wentworth in summer and Pinehurst in winter, without compensation because I had an ideal for my sex. I have wanted them to be capable of protecting their homes”.
Harriet Tubman
Americans remember Harriet Tubman for her involvement in the Underground Railroad, which was one of the most famous American slavery resistance efforts. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes that enslaved African-Americans used to free themselves from slaveholding lands. Tubman spent about 10 years traveling between Philadelphia and Maryland to guide her loved ones through the Underground Railroad.
Embarking on such a perilous journey, Harriet Tubman was known to carry around a pistol and ivory sword for self-defense. Tubman would collect information about the Confederate controlled areas she passed through during her travels. In these towns, she helped the enslaved individuals she met secure food and shelter. Carrying such valuable information, she was contracted as a guerilla operative and spy for the Union Army, and is considered the first African-American woman to serve in the military. She even led her own operation, the Combahee River Raid, in which she and a group of 150 black soldiers liberated more than 750 slaves – all with the help of firearms!
Dolly Parton
A modern day concealed carry owner, Dolly Parton is beloved in America for her musical prowess. In 1978, during her interview with Playboy Magazine, Parton said, “I always carry a gun; I have a permit for it in Nashville; I just carry it for protection. I feel safer when I’ve got it, I just don’t like the idea of knowin’ I’m totally helpless”
When she was a young woman, she almost had to use it– Parton was traveling with her friend late at night in New York City when several men began to harass them and wouldn’t let up. The confrontation escalated to the point where the men began tugging on Parton’s clothes, and that’s when she decided she had enough. She pulled out her .38 to protect her friend and herself, but thankfully, the sight of the self-defense weapon was enough to persuade the aggressors to back away. Who knows what would have happened had she not had her license to carry!
Are You Interested in Obtaining Your Concealed Carry Permit?
We are inspired by these brave American women’s commitment to freedom and safety, and we aim to help all civilians, men and women alike, to be able to practice these values through our concealed carry classes. Legal Heat has had the honor of supporting over 400,000 people in their decision to become a lawful concealed carry owner. This month we are offering discounted prices for all ladies concealed carry classes! Visit this link to find a ladies concealed carry class near you.
