Victoria C. (Victoria Claflin) Woodhull

Born in Ohio in 1838, Victoria Claflin Woodhull rose to fame in the nineteenth century as a lecturer, publisher, and activist. With her sister Tennessee Claflin, she opened a brokerage firm on Wall Street, an extraordinary step for women of the era, and soon became a well-known public figure.

Woodhull was deeply involved in the women's suffrage movement and became nationally famous when she ran for president of the United States in 1872. She also used her newspaper to promote wide-ranging reform ideas, including labor rights and what she called "free love," making her one of the most controversial and talked-about reformers of her day.

Her life was full of reinvention. After years in the public spotlight in the United States, she eventually settled in England, where she lived until her death in 1927. Today she is remembered as a trailblazer whose ambition, courage, and willingness to shock polite society still make her a fascinating figure.