American history is full of brave, bold, and courageous women. Below is a list of some of the women who throughout history have taken their courage to the national stage as candidates for President.

• Victoria Woodhull was the first female candidate for President of the United States. She was an activist for women’s rights and labor reforms. Together with her sister, she was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street, and they were among the first women to found a newspaper. She ran as a presidential candidate in 1872 from the Equal Rights Party, supporting women’s suffrage and equal rights.
• Belva Ann Lockwood was the second female candidate for President of the United States. She was an attorney, politician, educator, and author. She was the first woman attorney allowed to practice before the Supreme Court. Lockwood ran for president in 1884 and 1888 on the ticket of the National Equal Rights Party and was the first woman to appear on official ballots.
• Margaret Chase Smith was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination in the 1964 presidential election, but was the first woman to be placed in nomination for the presidency at a major party’s convention. She served as a U.S Representative and a U.S. Senator from Maine. She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress, and the first woman to represent Maine in either. When she announced her candidacy, she was quoted as saying “I have few illusions and no money, but I’m staying for the finish. When people keep telling you, you can’t do a thing, you kind of like to try.”
• Shirley Chisholm joined the race in 1972 and became the first major-party black candidate for President of the United States, and the first woman ever to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She was a politician, educator, and author. She championed a bill to ensure domestic workers received benefits, was an advocate for improved access to education, and fought for the rights of immigrants. She sponsored a bill to expand childcare for women, supported the national school lunch bill and helped establish the national commission on consumer protection and product safety.

• Carol Moseley Braun was a candidate for the Democratic nomination during the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. After a disappointing third place showing in the D.C. primary and four days before the Iowa caucuses, Moseley Braun dropped out of the race and endorsed Howard Dean. She is a politician and lawyer who also served as an Ambassador to New Zealand.