In the 19th century, Victoria Woodhull was many things: a clairvoyant, a businesswoman, an advocate for women’s rights and sexual freedom, and a presidential candidate.
Contenders
Portraits of some of America’s most original presidential candidates.
William Jennings Bryan: The Speech That Changed Politics
William Jenning Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech is known today as one of the most important oratorical performances in American history.
Adlai Stevenson: A Candidate in the Age of Television
The 1952 presidential campaign pitted the popular General Dwight D. Eisenhower against the intensely private Adlai Stevenson. It was an election fought on a new battleground: television.
Margaret Chase Smith: Cold War Warrior in Pearls
In 1964, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman from a major party to run for President.
Shirley Chisholm: The Politics of Principle
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm launched a spirited campaign for the Democratic nomination. She was the first woman and first African American to run.
Gracie Allen: The Joke That Became a Campaign
In 1940 the United States was just emerging from the shadow of the Great Depression and war loomed in Europe. Into these serious times stepped Gracie Allen.
The “Veep”
Alben Barkley served in Congress for close to 40 years and was Harry Truman’s vice president. But he never made it to the pinnacle of power.
