When Mrs. Satan Ran For President

The “most immoral woman” paved a path in history as a political trailblazer.

- Chris Enss

When Victoria Claflin Woodhull died, three months shy of her 89th birthday, news of her passing was announced on two continents. The press called the controversial writer, stockbroker and politician a “most immoral woman.” Not only was Victoria the first woman to be officially nominated for president of the United States, but she was also one of the first individuals to have been jailed on federal obscenity charges.

Victoria first found fame in the paranormal field; in 1849, her father rented a theatre where patrons paid to watch her, age 11, and her four-year-old sister channel spirits of the crowd’s deceased family members. At 15, Victoria wed 28-year-old Dr. Canning Woodhull; their marriage was troubled, as the doctor was an alcoholic and had numerous extramarital affairs. Meanwhile, by 1859, the sister act was annually earning more than $100,000.