Bettmann via Getty Images Angela Davis speaks at a press conference after being released on bail after her 1970 arrest.

McConnell invoked Rule XIX: “No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.” The Huffington Post reported that Senator Steve Daines of Montana agreed with McConnell, and found Warren in violation of the rule.

McConnell later said, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

In so doing, he inadvertently gave women a whole new rallying cry, and before the night was over, the hashtag #ShePersisted was trending on Twitter.

In honor of women’s enduring persistence, we’ve rounded up a group of women whose refusal to be silenced has made this country a better place. And while this is obviously by no means an exhaustive list of every woman in history who has persevered, it’s an important reminder that so many influential women were only so influential simply because they persisted.