Although the beginnings of the feminist movement in the United States are widely known, few of us are aware of how important a role two Polish women played in it. It is also surprising that the activities of both women have so far been a subject of interest to foreign rather than Polish researchers. The aim of this article is, therefore, to familiarize the Polish reader with the profiles of both Ernestyna Potowska‑Rose (1810–1892) and Maria Zakrzewska (1829–1902).

The story of Ernestyna Potowska‑Rose is an extremely fascinating one. Suffice it to say that she went to the United States to co‑create an Owenite commune, and soon became one of the leading figures of both abolition and feminist movements.

Also, in the nineteenth century, the second heroine of this article became a symbol for women who decided to cross the traditional boundaries set for the sexes. Together with Elizabeth Blackwell, eight years her senior, and Mary Putnam Jacobi, who was thirteen years her junior, she is considered one of the leading figures within the first generation of female physicians in the United States.