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In our ongoing series, #WomenThatDid, ENTITY profiles inspirational and famous women in history whose impact on our world can still be felt today. If you have a suggestion for a historical powerhouse you would like to see featured, tweet us with the hashtag #WomenThatDid.
Name: Victoria Woodhull
Lifetime: September23, 1838 – June 9, 1927
What She’s Known For: Victoria Woodhull became the first female stockbroker when she opened an office on Wall Street. She was a women’s rights and free love advocate and was the first female Presidential candidate in 1872.
Why We Love Her: With only three years of formal education under her belt, Woodhull went on to become the leader of the women’s rights movement in the United States. She advocated for women’s rights to free love and the freedom to marry, divorce and bear children without the interference of the government.
Woodhull is a true rags-to-riches story; she made her fortune on the New York Stock Exchange, earning the nicknames, “The Queen of Finance” and “Bewitching Broker.” With her newfound fortune, she opened a newspaper with her sister and tackled cultural issues like sex education, women’s suffrage, spiritualism and the legalization of prostitution. While campaigning for women’s right to vote, Woodhull became the first woman to petition Congress for the vote in person. In 1872, she became the first nominated Presidential candidate and ran again in 1884 and 1892.
Fun Fact: Days before the 1872 Presidential election, Woodhull was arrested for “publishing an obscene newspaper” when she printed an article outing Revered Ward Beecher, a major critic of Woodhull, as an adulterer with one of his parishioners. She was in prison during the election, making it impossible for her to campaign and vote.
RELATED: #WomenThatDid: Margaret Sanger
