The UMBC Special Collection Department houses a significant number of books and pamphlets focusing on 19th century British and American socialism and radical philosophy, Shakerism, social reform and utopian thought. (Books are catalogued and appear in VictorWeb with the heading SPECOL NEEDLE).

Recommended topics (there are many other possibilities as well):
Shakers
    utopian religious farming community---believed in equality of the sexes and celibacy
    http://rebelweb.anoka.k12.mn.us/rebel/student4/sundvall/Home.htm

Madame Blavatsky and Theosophy
  Blavatsky was born in Russia in 1831 and lived till 1891.

• Launched the Theosophical Movement calling her message Theosophy.
• First introduced knowledge of eastern religions to the West - including the ideas of karma and reincarnation.
• First showed that all major religions are derived from one original religious philosophy.
• Demonstrated that the ancient wisdom was still known.
• Presented a portion of that ancient wisdom.
• Performed phenomena not explainable by "known" laws of science.
• Gave the logical basis for morality and brotherhood.
• Required that the first objective of the Theosophical Movement be Universal Brotherhood without regard to race, creed, sex, caste, or color.

Mary Baker Eddy and Church of Christ Scientists
    Founder of the Church of Christian Science in 1870.
    http://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/mbe/intro.html

Media

1) Alternative Press Collection (UMBC Special Collections--1969 to 1995

Looking at topics such as women's rights, women's employment, women and music, etc. would be possibilities using this collection.

Politics

1) Mary Eliza Watters Risteau Collection (1890-1978)
    First woman elected to Maryland House served 1920s, 1930s and 1950s.
    Collection housed at Langsdale Library Special Collections, Univ. of Baltimore
    http://www.ubalt.edu/archives/mr/mr.htm

2) Baltimore League of Women Voters
    http://www.ubalt.edu/archives/lwv/lwvint.htm
    Collection housed at Langsdale Library Special Collections, Univ. of Baltimore

3) United Daughters of the Confederacy (1890s>)
    This is my personal collection of documents

4) Planned Parenthood of Baltimore
    Collection housed at Langsdale Library Special Collections, Univ. of Baltimore

5) Baltimore NAACP
    Founded in 1912, the Baltimore NAACP languished during the 1920s, but was revitalized by female members Lillie Carroll Jackson,
    and Juanita Jackson Mitchell during the 1930s.
   (I believe) The records are housed at the organization's headquarters:
    Baltimore Branch - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
    8 W. 26th Street
    Baltimore, MD 21218
    http://www.naacpbaltimore.org/index.html

Work and Health

1) Records of the President's Organization on Unemployment Relief--Women's Division (1928-1933)
    http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg073.html#73.3.4

2) U.S. Children's Bureau (Record Group 102)
    I have a personal collection of materials and the records of the agency are available at the National Archives in College Park
    http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg102.html

The agency was primarily headed by women and supported by women. There are a number of topics that could be part of a project involving Children's Bureau papers. For example, passage of the 1921 Sheppard-Towner Act, creating child welfare as a "female dominion", women's role in designing the children's sections of the 1935 Social Security Act....

3) U.S. Women's Bureau (Record Group 287)
    http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg086.html

    A) An interesting project might be to look at the Women's Bureau's predecessor: Women in Industry Service (1918-1920)
    Records are included in the Women's Bureau papers. This project should also include the railroad workers:
    Records of the Women's Service Section, 1918-1920
    14.6.3 Records of the Railway Adjustment Boards

Textual Records: Correspondence, case files, dockets, and decisions of Railway Board of Adjustment No. 1, relating to disputes involving engineers, firemen, conductors, and trainmen, 1918-23. Correspondence, complaints, amendments, interpretations, minutes, case files, and related records of Railway Board of Adjustment No. 2, relating to shop craft unions, 1918-21. Correspondence, disagreements, case files, decisions, and other records of Railway Board of Adjustment No. 3, relating to disputes involving railroad telegraphers, switchmen, clerks, and right-of-way maintenance employees, 1918-21.
http://www.nara.gov/guide/rg014.html#14.6.2

    B) Another possibility is to look at the Clara M. Beyer's History of Labor Legislation for Women in Three States
    (GPO, 1929). The University of Baltimore Langsdale Library has this on microfilm.

    C) and there are countless others....

4) Commingled Records of the Interdepartmental Committee
on the Status of Women (ICSW) and the Citizens' Advisory Council
on the Status of Women (CACSW)

History: ICSW and CACSW established by EO 11126, November 1, 1963, as organizations to advance the status of women in the public and private sectors, respectively. ICSW chaired by Secretary of Labor, with Director of Women's Bureau in Department of Labor serving as Executive Vice-Chairman. CACSW chaired by women's magazine editor Margaret Hickey, 1963-66; Sen. Maurine B. Neuberger (D-OR), 1966-69; and retired Col. Jacqueline G. Gutwillig, 1969-77. CACSW abolished by EO 12007, August 22, 1977. ICSW abolished by EO 12050, April 4, 1978, with functions transferred to the Interdepartmental Task Force for Women, established by same order.

Textual Records: Numbered documents file, 1963-68, including ICSW and CACSW correspondence and internal memorandums. Summaries of meetings, with related records, of ICSW, 1964-68; and of CACSW, 1964-76. Transcripts of CACSW proceedings, 1964-76, including meetings, conferences, and hearings. CACSW records relating to the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, 1970-76. Records of individual CACSW task forces, 1967-68. Reference copies of newsletters issued mainly by women's organizations, 1975-76.