In The Distaff Side: Great Women of American History Rose Basile Green tells of the accomplishments of sixty-four notable American women in sonnet form. In an age when people are pursuing the reality of equality, the study of history reveals an important element in the past. Research reveals the evidence that women have made a sizable contribution to the development and progress of the nation, whether or not they were recognized by contemporary news reporters or historians.

The poems in this volume are one woman's expression about the notable women of America who have passed into history. Green researched the work of many scholars to make the choice of her honorees as complete as possible. In accordance with their timelessness, the women are arranged alphabetically.

It was the sapient literary historian Prof. Robert E. Spiller who inspired and profiled Green's studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her Ph.D. in American civilization. Spiller encouraged Green to state the facts of American history in poetic form.