Notorious Victoria: the first woman to run for president

July 22, 2016 5:47 AM

Woodhull ended her speech with a threat: if men continued to exclude women from government, women had no choice but to revolt and govern themselves. “If Congress refuse to listen and to grant what women ask, there is but one course left to pursue. What is there left for women to do but to become the mothers of the future government?"(slTheGuardian)
posted by Kitteh (3 comments total)

some historians believe that he was the author of most of Woodhull’s speeches and articles, or at least a major contributor, together with their mutual friend, the self-styled “individualist anarchist” Stephen Pearl Andrews.

I'm sure they do. Every single woman who has ever been famous for anything has had "some historians" take this exact stance. Funny how famous male writers almost never have the contributions of the women around them scrutinized in this way.

(thanks for the post, I've been meaning to read more about her)
posted by emjaybee at 6:43 AM on July 22, 2016 [9 favorites]

Victoria Woodhull was an amazing woman: part hero, part weirdo (like so many prominent Americans). I can never get enough of reading about her and her bizarre era; thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 7:40 AM on July 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

She was a clue on Jeopardy today! And I got it right all thanks to metafilter!
posted by LizBoBiz at 4:45 PM on August 2, 2016