Equal Rights Party (United States)

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.