One of the oldest and most famous suspension bridges in the United States is the Brooklyn Bridge, which spans New York's East River and connects Brooklyn to Manhattan . The driving force behind the construction of this iconic landmark was a pioneering engineer named Emily Warren Roebling. Emily was born on September 23, 1843, in Cold Spring, New York, to an upper-middle-class family. She was the second youngest of twelve children, but she was especially close to her older brother, Kemble Warren, who enrolled her in a convent school in Washington, D.C. for further education at the age of 15. years. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Emily met her husband, Washington Roebling, at a military camp in 1864 and they married a year later. His father-in-law, John A. Roebling, was the principal designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, but died of tetanus before the project could be completed, leaving his son Washington to serve as chief engineer. During construction of the bridge, Washington became ill from decompression sickness and was physically unable to continue working on the project. As a result, Emily took on much of the responsibility for the project and served as a liaison between her husband and the engineering team. She regularly went to the construction site to relay her husband's instructions to the workers and answer their questions. Additionally, she began learning about the technical aspects of bridge design by studying topics such as material strength, stress analysis, and cable construction. She gained extensive knowledge in bridge engineering and became so proficient in handling project tasks that many people suspected she was the real mastermind behind the bridge's construction. She also served as her husband's spokesperson and represented him at important social functions. Emily's perseverance and dedication to the project made the bridge's completion possible, despite her husband's failing health. Emily's contributions to the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge were recognized by Congressman Abram S. Hewitt at the bridge's official opening in 1883. As a tribute to her efforts, she was given the honor to be the first person to cross the bridge after it opened. She also took great care to ensure that her husband would retain his position as chief engineer. When her title was threatened due to illness, Emily met frequently with politicians and officials and convinced them to let her husband remain as chief engineer on the project. After the bridge was completed, Emily and her husband moved to Trenton, New Jersey, where she oversaw the construction of the Roebling family mansion. Although she is best known for her work on the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily had many other accomplishments throughout her life. She played an active role in various social and philanthropic organizations, such as the Huguenot Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She also continued her education in her later years and earned a degree in business law from New York University. She traveled widely and remained active socially and academically until her death in February 1903. Emily Warren Roebling was a remarkable person whose dedication and tireless efforts made the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge a reality. At a time when women were expected to simply manage the affairs of the home, she proved that regardless of gender, one can achieve anything with hard work and determination., 42(3), 365-380.