Knowra Victoria Woodhull Victoria Woodhull Victoria Woodhull was an American women’s rights advocate, stockbroker, and spiritualist who became the first woman nominated for U.S. president, by the Equal Rights Party in 1872.
Tennessee Claflin : Tennessee Claflin was an American spiritualist, financier, and women’s rights advocate who worked closely with her sister Victoria Woodhull. Her sister and business partner helped establish the Wall Street brokerage they ran together.
Ohio : Ohio is a state in the Midwestern United States, admitted to the Union in 1803. Woodhull was born there in 1838 and spent her early years in poverty and itinerant work.
1872 United States presidential election : The 1872 United States presidential election was a contest won by incumbent Republican Ulysses S. Grant. Woodhull’s campaign drew attention despite her exclusion from ballots in many states and her inability to vote.
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution : The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, defines U.S. citizenship and guarantees equal protection and due process. Woodhull used its citizenship language to argue that women had a constitutional right to vote.
Ulysses S. Grant : Ulysses S. Grant was a Union general and the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. He won the 1872 election while Woodhull’s candidacy remained largely symbolic.
Frederick Douglass : Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist, writer, and statesman who advocated for Black civil and political rights. The Equal Rights Party nominated him for vice president without his participation or endorsement.
Spiritualism : Spiritualism is a religious movement centered on communication with the spirits of the dead. Woodhull’s spiritualist practice shaped her public identity and helped attract clients and supporters.
Equal Rights Party : The Equal Rights Party was a short-lived American political party that nominated Victoria Woodhull for president in 1872. It made her the first woman nominated for the U.S. presidency by a political party.
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution : The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibits denying the vote on account of sex. Its later adoption achieved the voting-rights goal Woodhull had pursued decades earlier.
Victoria Woodhull's 1872 presidential campaign : Victoria Woodhull's 1872 presidential campaign was the Equal Rights Party’s effort to elect Woodhull and Frederick Douglass. The campaign brought her political program into direct competition with major-party candidates.
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