America's First Female Presidential Candidate
Adapted from womenyoushouldknow.net.
This woman was a rebel, a trailblazer for generations to come. She
was the first woman to run for President of the United States. She was
Victoria Claflin Woodhull.
Victoria was born in 1838 in Homer, Ohio. Like many women of her
era, Victoria married very young. She was just 14 and her husband
turned out to be an alcoholic who didn't respect Victoria. She divorced
11 years later and went to work as a traveling fortune teller. Her
unusual career choice led to many prosperous opportunities later.
In 1868, she and her family moved to New York City where Woodhull
and one of her sisters became spiritual advisors for railroad
businessman Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt helped the sisters
become the first women stockbrokers in history when they opened
their own business in 1870 called Woodhull, Claflin & Company. That same year the sisters
started their own paper called Woodhull and Claflin’s Weekly in which they promoted woman
suffrage and better labor rights. Continuing on her trailblazing path, Victoria made history once again the next year. On April 2,
1871, she submitted a note to the newspaper, The New York Herald, announcing that she was
running for President of the United States. With that, she became the first woman to run for the
highest office in our nation.
Do you think it took guts to run at a time when women didn't even have the right to vote?
Woodhull's campaign showed that she supported issues like a more reasonable eight-hour
workday, an increased income tax, new divorce laws that respected women's choices, and
social welfare programs that we enjoy today. Many women’s suffragists and certain political
parties supported Woodhull. However, she was unable to gain enough money for an effective
campaign and could not receive votes from her female supporters as women did not yet have
the right to vote. Woodhull advocated for equal education for women, woman’s right to vote, and women’s right to
control their own health decisions. She criticized the Victorian ideal that women should only be
at home as full-time wives and mothers.
According to sources, Victoria’s name wasn’t actually on the ballot in the Presidential Election of
1872, so there is no record of how many people voted for her or if anyone voted for her at all.
Nonetheless, she made history by putting herself out there.
President Ulysses S. Grant, leader of the Republicans, swept that presidential election, earning
himself a second term in office. As for Victoria: After marrying again, Woodhull lived out the rest
of her days in England with her family, remaining active in the suffrage movement and various
charities, giving lectures, and running a newspaper called Humanitarian. Woodhull died in 1927
in London.
Victoria Claflin Woodhull "had the [brave idea] not to accept the
way society was,” one of her ancestors said. Her actions
encouraged other woman to
take a risk. Exactly 100 years
later, in 1972, congresswoman
Shirley Chisholm became the
first African American woman to
run for president. We haven't yet
had a woman president, but
there are numerous women who
have made a difference in politics in the past 150 years, and we
thank Victoria Woodhull for helping to pave that pathway.
Quoted paragraphs from National Women’s History Museum
Part A. Add the highlighted words to your dictionary.
Part B. Comprehension Questions
1. Cause and Effect: If Victoria had support from some political parties and suffragists, why
didn't she have a successful campaign?
2. Locating Details: Name two things Victoria showed support for in her campaign.
3. Critical Thinking: Why do you think Victoria's name wasn't on the ballot?
4. Reasoning: Victoria lead a quiet life as a housewife after she lost the election. Is this true or
false? Support your answer with facts from the article.
5. Fact and Opinion: Victoria was courageous to fight for women's rights.