This is one of the most fascinating things I've read in years. And why do we not know about her? Why is she not a topic in American History? If it weren't so fascinating, it would be sad ... how little we Americans reeeeeeally know about Americans that pioneered.
Before Earhart, There Was Aviation Trailblazer Bessica Raiche (Dr. Bessica Raiche, OBGYN, that is.)
[history.howstuffworks.com]
Earhart was a media darling. It's also possible that media technology was at the right degree of sophistication just in time for Earhart.