On This Day

Equal Rights Party nominates female candidates for US President and Vice President

The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights.

The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights. The party was notable for nominating two female presidential candidates: Victoria Woodhull in 1872 and Belva Lockwood in 1884 and 1888. Woodhull and Lockwood are generally considered the first women who ran for president in the U.S. Although women could not vote in federal elections at the time, there were no laws prohibiting women from running for president. In the 1876 and 1880 presidential elections, party members supported Peter Cooper and James B. Weaver, the national candidates of the Greenback Party. Their platform focused on equal rights for men and women.

Historical Significance

The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights.

Events Before

  1. The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jers

    The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey

  2. Bob Rogers is acknowledged as the first American pro sports trainer when he is hired by the NY Athletic Club

    Bob Rogers is acknowledged as the first American pro sports trainer when he is hired by the NY Athletic Club

  3. US Senator Albert B. Fall (21) weds Emma Garland Morgan in Clarksville, Texas

    US Senator Albert B. Fall (21) weds Emma Garland Morgan in Clarksville, Texas

  4. Brooklyn Bridge is opened by President Chester A. Arthur and NY Governor Grover Cleveland

    Brooklyn Bridge is opened by President Chester A. Arthur and NY Governor Grover Cleveland

  5. Krakatoa volcano, located west of Java in Indonesia, erupts with a force of 200 megatons of TNT, killing approximately 3

    Krakatoa volcano, located west of Java in Indonesia, erupts with a force of 200 megatons of TNT, killing approximately 36,000 people

Events After

  1. King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as his personal colonial possession

    From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.

  2. Mark Twain publishes "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the US

    Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885.

  3. Berlin Conference gives Congo to Belgium and Nigeria to the United Kingdom

    From 1885 to 1908, many atrocities were committed in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) under the absolute rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.

  4. W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's comic opera "The Mikado" premieres in London at the Savoy Theatre

    The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J.

  5. American socialite Edith Jones (23) weds American businessman Edward Robbins Wharton (35), at the Trinity Chapel, New Yo

    American socialite Edith Jones (23) weds American businessman Edward Robbins Wharton (35), at the Trinity Chapel, New York City, becoming Edith Wharton; divorce in 1913

More from the 1880s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 20, 1884?
The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights. The party was notable for nominating two female presidential candidates: Victoria Woodhull in 1872 and Belva Lockwood in 1884 and 1888. Woodhull and Lockwood are generally considered the first women who ran for president in the U.S.
Why is Equal Rights Party nominates female candidates for US President and Vice Pres... significant?
The Equal Rights Party was a United States minor party during the late 19th century that supported women's rights.

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