Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father abandoned the family after Gilman's mother was told she should have no more children. Some have claimed this is one reason Charlotte developed ambivalent feelings about marriage. She was educated at the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a teacher and commercial artist before devoting herself to women's suffrage and feminism.

Her short story, The Yellow WallPaper (1892), depicts a depressed woman who slowly descends into madness in her room, while her husband is frequently away from home due to his work at a hospital. The story is considered to be an account of Gilman's own experience with depression.

Her book, Women and Economics (1898) was hailed as a major accomplishment and was published in several languages. In it, Gilman attacked the old division of social roles, arguing that only economic independence could bring true freedom for women and make them equal partners to their husbands. She also was a staunch advocate for day-care programs and cooperative kitchens. © 2000-2002, ArtemisPress: a division of SRS Internet Publishing #06610736

Gilman gained fame with her lectures on women's issues, ethics, labor, and social concerns. She founded, edited and wrote her own monthly journal, Forerunner, from 1909 to 1916. Several of her novels appeared first in the paper.

In 1932 Charlotte learned that she had incurable breast cancer. As an advocate for the right-to-die, Gilman committed suicide on August 17, 1935 by taking an overdose of chloroform. She "chose chloroform over cancer" as her autobiography and suicide note stated.