Listen/watch Part I (18 minutes): (after you click this link, look for the play button in the lower left corner) Who was the first woman to run for president?  Victoria Woodhull, a native Ohioan called “Madam Satan” in the media for her controversial stance on women’s equality, ran in 1872 - nearly 50 years before the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution gave women the right to vote. Part 1 covers the history of women's suffrage through 1920.

Listen/watch Part 2 (25 minutes): Covers 1920 to 2020. In 1922, the first election after the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified guaranteeing women the right to vote, Florence Allen successfully ran for Ohio’s state supreme court, making her the first woman to ever be elected to any state high court. It would take until 1995, however, for Jo Ann Davidson to become Ohio’s first — and only — female Speaker of the Ohio House.  While Ohio can celebrate many “famous firsts,” the history of women running for public office is one of fits and starts, but full of inspiring stories.

These presentations were supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities.

Additional resources recommended by Dr. Palmer:

The Center for Women and Politics of Ohio at https://www.bw.edu/centers/women-and-politics-of-ohio/

The Center for American Women and Politics at https://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/