How to Stream the Sandra Day O'Connor Documentary 'The First'
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor led a life filled with accomplishments. With the news of her passing at the age of 93, many of us are eager to learn more about the woman who became the first female member of the Supreme Court. The PBS documentary, Sandra Day O’Connor: The First, is just the thing to help. Read on for details on how to stream The First and what you can expect to glean from watching the movie.
Is there a movie about Sandra Day O'Connor?
Considering Sandra Day O’Connor made history with her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1981, it would be surprising if there wasn’t a movie about her. The PBS documentary Sandra Day O’Connor: The First aired as part of PBS’s American Experience in 2021. The documentary has since received renewed interest with the former Supreme Court Justice’s passing on Dec. 1, 2023.
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What is the Sandra Day O’Connor movie The First about?
Sandra Day O'Connor: The First follows the life of the first woman to serve as a justice in the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor. The documentary covers years of the trailblazer's accomplishments, starting with her childhood on a cattle ranch in Arizona, her battle to be taken seriously in her legal career during a time when women were expected to stay at home, her service in the Arizona state senate through her time as a judge for the state’s court of appeals, all the way to her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1981 and her subsequent 25 years on the bench.
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Was Sandra Day O'Connor the first woman Supreme Court justice?
Sandra Day O’Connor was indeed the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was appointed to the position by Ronald Regan in 1981, making her the first woman to become a justice in the highest court of the land in its nearly 200-year existence at the time. O’Connor served on the Supreme Court for almost 25 years before announcing her intention to step down in 2005 in order to care for her husband John O’Connor following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
O’Connor identified as a Republican, but often acted as a swing vote on many controversial issues. While coming out against abortion during her confirmation hearing in 1981, she joined the court’s majority in a series of cases that upheld a woman’s right to choose during her tenure.
As the first female Supreme Court justice, O’Connor’s every move was dissected under a microscope. She described the added pressure she felt thusly: “It’s thrilling, in a way, to be the first to do something, the first woman ever to serve on the court. But it’s dreadful if you’re the last. And if I didn’t do the job well, that’s what would happen.”
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When did Sandra Day O'Connor serve on the Supreme Court?
Sandra Day O’Connor served on the Supreme Court from Sept. 25, 1981 until Jan. 31, 2006. She was appointed by then President Ronald Regan and received unanimous Senate approval to become the Supreme Court’s first female justice back in 1981. O’Connor stepped down in 2006 to look after her husband, John O’Connor, during his battle with Alzheimer’s.
Sandra Day O'Connor and John O'Connor were married from 1952 until his death in 2009. They had three children together.
Following her replacement with the conservative Justice Samuel Alito, O’Connor was often critical of her successor. In the 2019 biography First: Sandra Day O’Connor, author Evan Thomas revealed that she felt Alito had betrayed her accomplishments and dismantled her legacy. Thomas also participated in the PBS documentary Sandra Day O’Connor: The First.
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How to stream the Sandra Day O'Connor movie Sandra Day O’Connor: The First
Sandra Day O’Connor: The First is a PBS documentary and is available to stream on PBS with a valid PBS Passport. It's also streaming on Amazon Prime, where viewers can rent or buy the documentary or watch it with a PBS Documentaries subscription through the streaming service. History buffs can also find it streaming on Apple TV+.
