Victoria Woodhull: First Woman to Run for US President in 1872

Born on September 23, 1838, in impoverished rural Ohio, Victoria Woodhull made history as the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency in 1872, representing the National Equal Rights Party. At that time, although women could not vote, no laws prevented them from holding office. Her campaign advocated for racial and gender equality, civil service reforms, and opposed land grants for railroads. In January 1871, she became the first woman to testify before a House committee, asserting that the 14th and 15th Amendments ensured women's suffrage. Woodhull, alongside her sister Tennessee Claflin, established the first female-run Wall Street brokerage in 1870 and launched the Woodhull and Claflin Weekly. Her promotion of 'free love' and exposure of Henry Ward Beecher's affair resulted in her arrest for obscenity on election day in 1872, leading to six months in jail before her acquittal. This scandal led to her financial ruin and estrangement from suffragists. After moving to England and marrying John Biddulph Martin, she returned to public speaking and ran for president again in 1892, ultimately passing away in 1927, seven years post the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Gloria Steinem noted her as one of the few women who openly embodied the ideals of female emancipation and sexual freedom.