Victoria Woodhull – Homer, Ohio

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Jeannine Vegh

Victoria Woodhull – September 23, 1838 – June 9, 1927 (Libra and Aphrodite archetype)

A woman who was seen as a controversial figure in her time, was of course way ahead of her peers. She began her start in life with a family who had less than good intentions or you could spin the story by saying their way of surviving wasn’t exactly ethical or legal. She was a spiritualist, polyamorous, started a commune, in fact lived a pretty wild life. You can imagine that as a women’s suffragist, she would eventually be ostracized by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s world. Today, she would have just been a normal modern day woman.

What is significant about Victoria Woodhull is that she was the first woman to run for President announcing her candidacy in 1870. Her party was known as the Equal Right’s Party and she was accepted by them as a candidate in 1872. Frederick Douglass, a former slave and abolitionist leader, was her candidate for Vice President. What is also significant is that Victoria Woodhull spoke before the House Judiciary Committee and argued that women had the right to vote, under the demand that the constitution did not say women were excluded. There was nothing new to write, they just needed to realize this. Of course by this point she had already been ostracized by the suffragist’s who certainly did not want her going down in history for something they had worked so hard for. As a result of this, while the men were in favor of Victoria’s speech and thought her argument made perfect sense to them, they were deluged with an onslaught of wives and sisters who were telling them that she was nuts and they should not listen to what she had to say. Before too long they were laughing at her instead.

This last fact is the most difficult to fathom, in this time period, as it would be 47 years, from when she spoke, before women actually did get the right to vote. It also shows how women can be vindictive and ruthless toward other women and certainly are not the “better” sex for any position of authority as they are no better than men. What you can also see is that the suffragists had developed quite a large ego. What difference would it have made who got us the right to vote, as long as we had it?

Other amazing feats are that Victoria and her sister Tennessee were the first women stockbrokers to open shop on Wall Street. She ran a newspaper, which was how the suffragists ended up going against her. Victoria ran an expose on the brother of Harriett Beecher Stowe about his infidelity. She focused on him because he was a minister preaching to his flock against her beliefs on free love. What she was doing was showing the hypocrisy of his lifestyle, no different than say a Jim and Tammy Faye Baker story (or plenty of other ministers, priests, and other spiritual men you can think of in history).

Interestingly, while she had these fiercely liberal attitudes, she did no believe in abortion. However, she felt people needed to be responsible which is not something you can really disagree with. She believed in sex education and like Margaret Sanger, in this same time period, were both talking about family planning. Also like Margaret Sanger, believed in eugenics which has to do with improving the quality of human beings. Many people will fault both of these women for this thought process however, it is not wrong to believe in something that was popular in your era. From an intellectual standpoint it makes sense and for these brilliant women, who had good intentions to feel this way, you really want to know more about why they felt this was a good idea.

My introduction to Victoria Woodhull came in my Women’s History class in the early 1990’s. I was so fascinated by her because she had accomplished so much in her time period, yet was scorned by many women for her beliefs. I could relate to her story and wrote her name down so that I would remember it while out shopping for books. The book I read was Notorious Victoria by Mary Gabriel. Of course I was quite fascinated to learn that her life began right here in Ohio, not too far from where I myself grew up and went to High School. There is a non-profit organization now that is set up to continue her beliefs for family planning, education and other topics she might have been interested in called Woodhull Freedom Foundation.

**A new documentary is being made that has come to my attention via Twitter. Check out this website Clarinet Marmalade.

7/20/16 Guardian article: Notorious Victoria: The First Woman to Run for President

Appalachian Women

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Jeannine Vegh

This is an amazing documentary of women who are called “Appalachian.” While these ladies are not from Ohio, their kinfolk migrated here over the years and settled around our fine state. You can still hear the dialect amongst certain elder women, here in Ohio and a hint of this talk from others. A wonderful lady I grew up with, used these words:

Arn – Iron

Wharsh – Wash

Davenport – Sofa or Couch

Arnge – Orange

“Well, for heaven’s sake.”

Perhaps you can recall some words that gave you a smile as well. I once worked with a client down in the Wilmington area that had such a thick dialect I often had to ask what he was saying because I had never heard his way of speaking before.

What I find superior amongst these women is their ability to be a survivor. These are ladies who would never ask for a handout from the government because they already know how to make do with what they have. If they don’t have it, they can grow it, bake it, sew it, or fix it. This is a skill that most women do not know today and could not do if their lives depended on it. I believe there will come a time when this will be necessary.

Cherish your elders while you have them. They may seem old fashioned and strange now but I guarantee you that as you age, they will make more and more sense.

Appalachian Family transplanted to Grove City

The same Appalachian family c. 2001
L-R Joe, Elsie, Bob, Della and Bernie Wells

Appalachian family home KY c. 60’s or 70’s

This old house was where Della and her kin lived in KY, estimated time would be 1930’s-40’s and back. This home was a three room place for a sharecropper and his family. It had a big living room, a fireplace, a big bed in the living room, the bedroom had 3 beds, there was a big kitchen and a long table with chairs made by Della’s father. Three kids slept in each bed and parents were in the living room. In order to find this home, Della and her husband had to work hard traipsing through weeds and looking out for snakes before they were able to find this and take a photo.

Mom (Della’s mother-in-law but what we called her) and Norma Jean Welsh 1974

Mom and Norma Jean are standing in front of the garage for their home and Della and Don’s home. Behind the windows is Della and Don’s home and in front of them (which you can’t see of course) is their home. It was a two car garage and attached to it is the original home that Don and Della lived in before they built the home behind the window. The original home was a one bedroom house that I vaguely remember from peering through the window from time to time. It had no bathroom and so Della, Don and the two girls had to go to Mom and Norma’s for hygiene.