Events That Brought Victoria Woodhull into the History Books of Early America - Essay Example

Protest & Reform Victoria Woodhull September 23, 1838 - June 9, 1927 Biography There are three events that brought Victoria Woodhull into the history books of early America. The first was her campaigns. Second, she was the first woman to address the House Judiciary Committee. Finally, she promoted women suffrage and their right to vote and openly expressed her views on marriage (Davis, 1871). While her life was wrought with trials that reflected on her character, Woodhull continually spoke out against the double standards that existed between male and female roles in early American societies (NWHM, 2012). In 1870 Woodhull announced that she was going to run for president of the United States. She would be the first female to campaign for this office. As events unfolded, Woodhull was actually in jail during the election and because of the age requirement to become the United States President, Woodhull’s name never appeared on the ballot because at the time of printing, she was three months away from being 35 years old (Goldsmith, 1998). Ten years later Woodhull campaigned again for president and lost the seat to Grover Cleveland. Woodhull was the first woman to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in 1871. She promoted women’s suffrage and free love. Susan B. Anthony was a strong supporter of Woodhull and other women willing to voice their opinions about unfair practices. Woodhull had the support of her younger sister, who often accompanied her on her various speaking engagements. Other family members were not supportive and even caused trouble for Woodhull on several occasions (Underhill, 1995). Woodhull addressed “The Principals of Social Freedom” in an address given at the Steinway Hall in 1871. Because of her eloquent speaking ability, she was able to draw quite a crowd to participate in the event. Woodhull’s constant protests and outspoken manner earned her many enemies willing to contribute to her difficulties, which she experienced. She and her younger sister spent time in jail, had to pay fines and expensive legal representation to fight the accusations made against her, and experience the ramifications of voicing opinions that were 100 years too early (McLean, 2000). Influential Quotes Women’s rights were constantly the topic of social gatherings. At one such event, Woodhull stated, "Womans ability to earn money is better protection against the tyranny and brutality of men than her ability to vote" (Goldsmith, 1998). Because of her position as a spiritualist, many men and women explained in detail their experiences with marriage and when asked, Woodhull adamantly stated that women were often treated like slaves once they were married. Woodhull made the following statement after losing the 1892 election. "The truth is that I am too many years ahead of this age and the exalted views and objects of humanitarianism can scarcely be grasped as yet by the unenlightened mind of the average man" (Goldsmith, 1998). Even 100 years after Woodhull campaigned for president, no woman has ever been elected to this office (Brody, 2003). Rhetorical Strategy The ethos, pathos, and logos of Woodhull’s involvement with the women’s suffrage movement was compiled from her own personal experiences, the experiences of others, and the societal demands that oppressed women. From an early age, Woodhull learned to capture the audience by appealing to their emotions and beliefs. This continued throughout her life as she continually spoke out against the oppression of women. Her reasoning for her beliefs were the lived experiences Woodhull endured and the shared experiences of other individuals who suffered similar experiences. While her character was sound, some of her choices in life brought about questions of credibility from some prominent individuals (Harvard, 2012). Many women and some men supported Woodhull in her efforts to promote the suffrage movement and push for women to have the right to vote. Those men who were willing to continue to oppress women and deny that females had any rights, except what her husband allowed were not counted among her audience attendees. Many of these same men tried to discourage Woodhull from attending any events by waylaying her or having her arrested (Goldsmith 1998). Audience Reactions The individuals who supported Woodhull in her endeavors to bring women the right to vote and stop the oppression of all females were staunch supporters. The gathering of support continued to grow as more women took to standing up for their rights (Gabriel, 1998). Even though it did not happen overnight, women did earn the right to vote and were allowed into the workforce. Men who were adamant that women were property of their husbands kept a tight rein on the females of their household and refused to allow them access to Woodhull. While every effort is made to allow women equal rights as their male counterparts, some men refuse to acknowledge those rights and continue to oppress females. Critique of Effectiveness Women were finally allowed the right to vote and earn a wage because of the efforts of individuals like Woodhull. The trials that were endured because of a belief that oppression was not acceptable behavior were harsh and ongoing. Woodhull lost all her worldly possessions and had to start over making a life for herself because of her determination to see an end to unfair treatment of all women (Grabriel, 1998). Woodhull’s life example of being married three times and divorced twice during a time when divorce was almost unheard of was the catalyst for her strong beliefs. Her first husband was a doctor and an alcoholic who refused to support his family (Goldsmith, 1998). Her second husband supported her efforts until the interference became too big to ignore. When the going got tough, he got up and left. Woodhull outlived her third husband and continued to try to help women who were in need of an alternative choice. Woodhull’s final years were spent in England helping women with children re-establish their lives and find jobs that would support their families. Her beliefs altered slightly in her later years as the evolution of events allowed for less promotion of women’s rights (Underhill, 1995). She also revised her opinion on free love and the institution of marriage, but continued to speak out against the oppression of women around the globe. References Brody, M. (2003). Victoria Woodhull: Free spirit for women’s rights. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press Davis, P. W., ed. (1871). A History of the National Womans Rights Movement for Twenty Years, New York: Journeymen Printers Cooperative Association, 1871. Retrieved from http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/2585865?n=1 Gabriel, M. (1998). Notorious Victoria: The life of Victoria Woodhull, Uncensored (1st ed.). Chappel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books Goldsmith, B. (1998). Other powers: The age of suffrage, spiritualism, and the scandalous Victoria Woodhull. New York, NY: Knopf Harvard University Library (2012). Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927). Retrieved from http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/woodhull.html Lakewood Public Library (2012). Women in history: Victoria Woodhull biography. Retrieved from http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/wood-vic.htm McLean, J. (2000). Victoria Woodhull: First woman presidential candidate. Greensboro, NC: Morgan Reynolds National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) (2012). Victoria Claflin Woodhull (1838-1927). Retrieved from http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/victoria-claflin-woodhull/ Underhill, L. B. (1995). The woman who ran for president: The many lives of Victoria Woodhull. New York, NY: Penguin Books l Read More