About
Victoria Woodhull, née Claflin, was a pioneering figure in the American women's rights movement. After a childhood marked by a traveling family show, she opened with her sister the first female brokerage firm on Wall Street and co-published a reformist newspaper. In 1871, she became the first woman to testify before a congressional committee, arguing that the 14th Amendment already granted women the right to vote. The following year, she ran for president under the Equal Rights Party banner. Imprisoned for obscenity after exposing a minister's adultery, she moved to England in 1877, where she married a banker and devoted herself to philanthropy.
* 1838-09-23 — † 1927-06-09
Major works
- Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly (1870)newspaper
Key milestones
- 1870Opens with her sister the first female brokerage firm on Wall Street.
- 1871First woman to testify before a U.S. congressional committee.
- 1872First woman to run for U.S. president, nominated by the Equal Rights Party.
Themes
Women's suffrageFree loveGender equalitySocial reformFreedom of speech
Sources: womenshistory.org · britannica.com