These Women Have Been Breaking Barriers in Business for 150 Years

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’d like to introduce you to some Americans who made history in finance, investing and economics. They include a “Madam Railroad” and the “Witch of Wall Street” and all have something in common: They broke barriers in their fields, often in the face of daunting odds.

And just in case you think those odds are the stuff of ancient history, consider this: A female broker who filed a recent sexual-discrimination lawsuit against her employer said she found a witch’s hat on her desk one morning as part of what she claims was a “campaign of harassment.”