1st woman to run for president was born 126 years before Kamala Harris: Here's who's run since
Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris may be the first to come to mind as of 2024 when it comes to women vying for the role of president - and rightfully so, with Clinton being the first woman to be a major party's nominee, and the whirlwind of political history surrounding Harris.
Despite more recent female politicians who may come to mind, the first woman to run for president was born nearly 200 years ago. While the first woman to become a major party nominee ran in 2016, women have a history in politics that spans hundreds of years. Here's some info on the many women who have campaigned in the United States.
More: Democrats' VP chatter turns to swing state governors. Which contenders pack biggest punch?
Who was the first woman to run for president?
The first woman to run for president, believe it or not, began her campaign in 1872. The Center for American Women and Politics tells the story of Victoria Claflin Woodhull, who ran against Ulysses S. Grant and Horace Greeley. Born in Homer, Ohio, in 1838, Woodhull fought for women's rights, founded her own newspaper, became the first woman to own a Wall Street investment firm and more before her death in 1927.
Who was the first Black woman to run for president?
In 1972, Shirley Anita Chisholm became the first African American woman to seek nomination. Chisolm received 151.95 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention - but her political career was more than just a run for president. Chisolm also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983 as the first African American woman to serve in Congress. She also spent time serving in the New York state legislature from 1964 to 1968.
More: NC has some of the most dangerous roads in the US: See how Western NC counties rank
When did women get the right to vote?
Though women have a history in politics, it should be noted that early female politicians like Woodhull and Lockwood would not have been legally able to vote - even for themselves. The 19th amendment, passed by Congress June 4, 1919 and ratified Aug. 18, 1920, granted American women the ability to vote.
Following the amendment, however, came decades of civil rights efforts to fully include African Americans and other minority women in these freedoms. Many women remained unable to vote well into the 20th century.
How many women have run for president?
CAWP compiled a list of all of the women who have made runs in American history:
Victoria Claflin Woodhull (1872) - Equal Rights Party
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood (1884 and 1888) - Equal Rights Party
Margaret Chase Smith (1964) - Republican
Shirley Anita Chisholm (1972) - Democrat
Patsy Takemoto Mink (1972) - Democrat
Ellen McCormack (1976, 1980) - Democrat
Sonia Johnson (1984) - Citizens Party
Patricia S. Schroeder (1988) - Democrat
Lenora Fulani (1988 and 1992) - New Alliance Party
Elizabeth Hanford Dole (2000) - Republican
Carol Moseley Braun (2004) - Democrat
Cynthia McKinney (2008) - Green Party
Michele Bachmann (2012) – Republican
Jill Stein (2008, 2016, 2024) - Green party
Hillary Rodham Clinton (2008 and 2016) - Democrat
Carly Fiorina (2016) - Republican
Tulsi Gabbard (2020) - Democrat
Kirsten Gillibrand (2020) - Democrat
Kamala Harris (2020) - Democrat
Elizabeth Warren (2020) - Democrat
Marianne Williamson (2020, 2024) - Democrat
Amy Klobuchar (2020) - Democrat
Jo Jorgensen (2020) - Libertarian Party
Nikki Haley (2024) - Republican
More: Could North Carolina's governor deliver the state for Democrats if he's picked as VP?
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How many woman have run for president? From Woodhull to Kamala Harris
