Women Cemented As 'Firsts' in United States Politics

As James Brown once said, “It’s a Man’s World.” But that didn’t stop these women from breaking the glass ceiling and became political ‘firsts.’

Jeanette Rankin and Susanna M. Salter
Women were not allowed to vote in the United States until 1920, but that didn’t stop Jeanette Rankin and Susanna M. Salter from making their voices heard in government.

Susanna M. Salter became the first woman elected to any public office in the US when she became Mayor of Argonia, Kansas in 1887. Salter’s name was placed on the ballot as a prank by a group of men determined to humiliate women and discourage them from running in the future. When Salter discovered she was up for election, she announced she’d accept the position if elected. The joke was on men after that.

In 1916, Jeanette Rankin intentionally ran for her seat in public office, and she became the first woman elected to Congress. Rankin famously remarked, “I may be the first woman elected to congress, but I won’t be the last.” Today, there are 101 women in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm has two firsts under her belt: in 1968, she became the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972, she made history again when she became the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She served New York’s 12th Congressional District for 7 terms.

Geraldine Ferraro
In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to run for Vice President alongside Walter Mondale. Before her nomination, Ferraro was a well-known member of the House of Representatives and fought for women’s equity in wages, pensions, and retirement plans.

Hillary Clinton
And of course, most recently, Hillary Clinton made history when she became the first woman to win the democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

[gooddogtalks]

Until Covid, I never knew we had so many immature girls in political roles. You get what you VOTE for.