Belva Ann Lockwood American politician, writer and educator. Date of Birth: 24.10.1830 Country: USA

Biography of Belva Ann Lockwood

Belva Ann Lockwood was an American politician, writer, and educator. She was known for her activism in the suffrage movement and her fight for gender equality. Lockwood was born in Royalton, New York, to Lewis Johnson Bennett and Hannah Green Bennett, both farmers. At the age of 14, she was already teaching at a local elementary school.

In 1848, at the age of 18, Lockwood married Uriah McNall, a local farmer. However, in 1853, McNall passed away from tuberculosis, leaving Lockwood without any means of support. She realized that she needed further education to earn a decent living and support her daughter, who was born in 1950. Despite societal disapproval, Lockwood pursued higher education and enrolled in Genesee College in Lima, New York. She graduated with honors in 1857 and soon became the director of a school.

Lockwood's career as an educator led her to question the disparities between the education given to girls and boys. Influenced by renowned women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony, Lockwood began to advocate for changes in the educational system by incorporating public speaking and physical education for girls. In February 1866, Lockwood moved to Washington, D.C., believing it to be the center of national power and the ideal place to study law. She opened a private school while continuing her legal studies.

In 1868, Lockwood remarried Ezekiel Lockwood, a veteran of the Civil War, a Baptist minister, and a practicing dentist. They had a daughter named Jessie, who unfortunately passed away before her second birthday. Ezekiel fully supported his wife's endeavors. In 1870, Lockwood attempted to enroll in Columbia Law School but was denied due to gender discrimination. She then applied to the National University Law School and was admitted. However, the university refused to award her a diploma. Only after writing a letter to President Ulysses S. Grant did Lockwood receive her diploma, allowing her to practice law.

Lockwood faced numerous challenges and discrimination throughout her legal career, but she persevered and won several cases. She actively participated in legal proceedings related to women's rights and supported the suffrage movement. In 1879, she fought for a bill to end discrimination against female lawyers, which was eventually signed into law. Unfortunately, her husband passed away two years before seeing her success.

Belva Lockwood made history as the first woman (or second, according to some sources) to run for President of the United States. She ran as an independent candidate in the 1884 and 1888 elections but had little chance of winning due to her lack of affiliation with major political parties. Alongside her legal and political activities, Lockwood actively wrote essays on equal rights, which were published in magazines such as 'Cosmopolitan', 'American Magazine of Civics', 'Harper's Weekly', and 'Lippincott's'. She also served as the editor of 'The Peacemaker' magazine and was a member of the Universal Peace Union, advocating for peace and disarmament.

Belva Lockwood continued to speak out about peace and politics until her death on May 19, 1917, at the age of 86. She remained a staunch opponent of war in all its forms, expressing her disappointment when the United States decided to participate in World War I.