Campaign button from Shirley Chisholm's 1972 presidential campaign
Object Details
- date made
- c1972
- associated date
- 1972
- referenced
- Chisholm, Shirley
- Description
- Her campaign slogan was, “unbought and unbossed.” The daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1968, the educator and member of the New York State Legislature ran for congress against a male opponent who argued that women had represented their Brooklyn district for too long and won. She became the first African American woman elected to Congress. As a member of the United States House of Representatives, she was a co-founder, and for the first two years the only woman member, of the Congressional Black Caucus. In 1972, Chisholm decided to run for president partly because, she later wrote, “In this country everybody is supposed to be able to run for President, but that’s never been really true. I ran because most people think the country is not ready for a black candidate, not ready for a woman candidate.” She announced her long shot campaign, dubbed “The Chisholm Trail,” in January. "I have faith in the American people,” she declared in her presidential announcement speech. “I believe we are intelligent enough to recognize the talent, energy, and dedication which all Americans, including women and minorities, have to offer….I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud. I am not candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I'm equally proud of that.... I'm the candidate of people of America.” George McGovern prevailed at the Democratic Convention to become the party’s presidential candidate, but Chisholm’s grassroots campaign energized democratic women, young people, and voters of color, and voters from the LGBTQ community and her delegates made her the first woman to have her name placed in nomination to be the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party (Margaret Chase Smith, senator from Maine, was the first for the Republican party in 1964).
- classified
- Political Campaigns
- associated subject
- Women's History
- African American History
- depicted
- Presidential Candidates
- related event
- Presidential Campaign of 1972
- See more items in
- Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
- Government, Politics, and Reform
- In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness
- Exhibition
- In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- ID Number
- 2000.0071.02
- accession number
- 2000.0071
- catalog number
- 2000.0071.02
- Object Name
- Button
- Physical Description
- metal (overall material)
- white, black, red (overall color)
- Measurements
- overall: 1 1/4 in; x 3.175 cm
- Record ID
- nmah_767299
