Although the next Presidential election is still over a year and a half away, some campaigns are already in full swing. One of the most active candidates is Hillary Clinton, who has a legitimate chance of winning the Democratic Party's nomination for President. A Clinton victory would give the United States its first female president; however, she is not the first woman to have run for this office. Believe it or not, Victoria C. Woodhull ran for President as the Equal Rights Party's nominee in 1872, long before women had the right to vote. For more information about Woodhull, you can take a look at the Biography Resource Center database, or check out Other powers : the age of suffrage, spiritualism, and the scandalous Victoria Woodhull by Barbara Goldsmith, which is part of our Women's History Month display.

In the 135 years since Woodhull ran, many women have appeared on the ballot. Some, such as Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME), have even hailed from New England. When a colleague nominated her in 1964, Smith became the first woman to have her name placed in nomination at a major party convention. Other female candidates include Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY), who won 151.25 delegates in 1972, Elizabeth Dole, who ran in 2000, and Carol Moseley Braun, who ran in the 2004 election. The Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University lists interesting facts about women who have run for President and other offices on their website. You can also find information about women who have run for President of countries around the world on the Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership website. If you prefer to read more on this topic, browse our catalog using the subject "women in politics."