The following timeline includes a brief history of women in American politics. While it doesn't include all of the firsts, that would be an incredibly long list, it hits the high points. What I found interesting while creating this timeline was that in school, I was never taught about these women. We were only taught about the first men to do x, y, z, etc. So, enjoy this quick summary of the women who have greatly influenced our country's political landscape.
1866: Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the first woman in the United States to run for any office. Stanton ran for the U.S. House of Representatives.
1872: Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president. She ran for the Equal Rights Party.
1887: Susanna Salter became the first woman mayor in the country when she took office in Kansas.
1894-1896: The first 4 women to be elected to state legislatures.
- Clara Cressingham, Carrie C. Holly and Frances Klock were all elected to Colorado's House of Representatives
- Martha Hughes Cannon was elected to Utah's Senat
1920: Women were now allowed to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment.
1922: Rebecca Latimer Felton was the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
1925: Nellie tayloe Ross became the first woman governor in the country when she was elected to office in Wyoming.
1933: Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in the president's cabinet.
1952: Charlotta Spears Bass was the first woman nominee for vice president of the U.S.
1993: Janet Reno became the first woman U.S. Attorney General.
1997: Madeleine K. Albright became the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.
2007: Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House for the U.S. Congress.
2016: Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be a major political party's nominee for president.
2019: Nevada became the first state to have its legislative seats held by women.
2020: Kamala Harris became the first woman elected to the office Vice President of the United States.
For More Information:
https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/blog-post/brief-history-women-american-politics
Hello Shelby,
ReplyDeleteI think it is extraordinary that in 1872 a woman named Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president. She was so far ahead of her time and it is fascinating. Also, it is crazy that we still have not had a female president yet. I am looking forward to when that day comes and I believe it will be within the next few elections. Another part of your post that stood out to me is that in 1916, Jeannette Rankin, became the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. It is great that she was able to successfully run and be elected in that time, because it seems like such a hard thing to accomplish that far back. The women during my lifetime that have been influential in my opinion are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and now Kamala Harris. I hope more women continue to get into politics and are elected to help the country to evolve. Great post!