Final answer:
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1981. Her appointment was significant in the progress of women's rights and the politics of the Supreme Court, despite her conservative orientation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The First Female Supreme Court Justice
The first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court was Sandra Day O'Connor. She was an attorney from El Paso, Texas, and was sworn in as the first female justice in 1981. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, O'Connor was expected by many of his conservative supporters to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade due to her conservative orientation. Despite these expectations, she and other justices upheld the legality of abortion in several cases, much to the dismay of many conservatives and Evangelicals at the time.
O'Connor's appointment was a landmark moment in American history, reflecting not only the progress in women's rights but also the ongoing political battles surrounding the Supreme Court. Her tenure as a justice has left a lasting legacy and has since been followed by other notable female justices appointed to the highest court, shaping the judiciary with ideologies that run the spectrum of American political thought.