Victoria C. Woodhull

Written by an American newspaper editor, poet, abolitionist and assistant to social reformer Henry Ward Beecher, this volume outlines the life, accomplishments and personality of women's rights activist Victoria Woodhull. Born in September 1838, Victoria was the seventh of ten children. She had only three years of formal education by age 11, but her teachers and peers found her to be extremely intelligent. At 14, Victoria met 28-year-old Canning Woodhull, a doctor from Rochester, New York. They were married two months after Victoria's 15th birthday. Victoria and Canning divorced just a year later, and she then married Colonel James Blood in 1866. After several extra-marital relationships with various men, Woodhull became an outspoken supporter of free love. Left to make her own living without a husband, Victoria partnered with her sister Tennessee in 1870 to become the first women stockbrokers in the country. They made a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange and opened their own firm. Some months later, Victoria became the first woman to start a weekly newspaper in the United States. Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly published various articles and sketches, but its main purpose was to support Victoria's run for U.S. President. She was first female candidate to run for the office. After she did not win the presidential race, Woodhull began writing politically-charged articles in her paper. Expressing ideas about social reform and women's rights, Woodhull was considered extremely controversial during her time. In October 1876, she divorced her second husband and left for England to start a new life. In 1883, she married banker John Biddulph Martin and lived a quiet life in Worcestershire. Today, she is remembered for her incredible feats as an American woman in literature, business and politics and is honored through memorials, monuments and Broadway musicals inspired by her works.