4. The First Woman to Run for President: Sex, Scandal, and Suffragists (Ep 2)
From the trading floor of Wall Street to the campaign trail, Victoria Woodhull was a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, her scandalous presidential campaign ends in disaster, and she spends election night in a cell. She’s been arrested for trying to expose the hypocrisy of one of America's most revered figures, the preacher Henry Ward Beecher, and his secret affair.
Victoria Woodhull’s explosive confrontation with societal hypocrisy caused her downfall and eventual departure for England. Discover the surprising and complex final chapter of her life, as this former champion of radical freedoms embraced the controversial pseudoscience of eugenics. How should we remember the "future president" – as a pioneering feminist or a figure whose legacy is deeply complicated by her later views? Join David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell to explore the full, contradictory life of a woman who dared to defy every expectation.
To find out more about Find My Past visit: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/journey-through-time
Email: [email protected]
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Instagram: @ThroughTimePod
Assistant Producer: Alice Horrell
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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Journey Through Time
Forgotten stories from history and how they shaped the way we live today.
Hear about the ordinary people from history and the extraordinary impact they’ve had on the present. Hosted by historians David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell, Journey Through Time will show how everyday actions have the most remarkable unintended consequences that ripple through time.
From the first woman to run for President to the unknown story of how the world came to the brink of nuclear war in 1983, this podcast is for everyone, not just history lovers.
To hear more Goalhanger podcasts, go to www.goalhanger.com
To find out more about Find My Past visit: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/journey-through-time
- No. of episodes: 28
- Latest episode: 2025-08-27
- History
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