Elizabeth Fries Ellet defied the status-quo of what came to be known as separate spheres, in which men lived unencumbered by the societal mores they set, while women's roles were defined by men. Imagine her standing among us today--no quill pens and ink pots; instead, the internet, email and computers--no horses and carriages; instead, airplanes and cars, with double the literary output from someone whose life was dedicated to words that defined women's lives. Regardless of the upgrades, what Ellet exemplified in her era, was a refusal to accept anything other than equality for women, which is what women are still striving for today.