ヒラリー・クリントンはかつてないほど、主要政党として初の女性大統領候補に近づいている。そしてアメリカ史上初の女性大統領が生まれる可能性もある。
しかし、ヒラリーの前には、ビクトリア・クラフリン・ウッドハル、シャーリー・チザム、ソニア・ジョンソンといった女性たちの存在があった。これまでに49人の女性が、党の大統領立候補として指名を獲得しようとし、35人が党の指名を獲得した。そのなかにはグレイシー・アレンのように「サプライズパーティー」で宣伝したり、社会主義労働者党のリンダ・ジェニスのように政治的な発言をしたり、アメリカの中で最も重要なオフィスを獲得しようとした女性もいた。
以下に、ガラスの天井を破ろうとした勇気ある18人の女性たち（時系列順）を紹介しよう。
1872年以降、アメリカ大統領選に立候補した女性たち
ビクトリア・クラフリン・ウッドハル（1872）(01 of18)
Victoria Claflin Woodhul holds the distinction as the first woman to run for president of the United States, ever. A key figure in the suffrage movement, Woodhul invited abolitionist Frederick Douglass as her vice president (though it is unknown whether he ever formally accepted the nomination) as a candidate of the Equal Rights party.
Though her presidential bid was unsuccessful, Woodhul remained a key force in the suffragette movement. She was also one of the first female stockbrokers on Wall Street, and cofounded her own brokerage firm Woodhull, Claflin & Company in 1870. (credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
Though her presidential bid was unsuccessful, Woodhul remained a key force in the suffragette movement. She was also one of the first female stockbrokers on Wall Street, and cofounded her own brokerage firm Woodhull, Claflin & Company in 1870. (credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
ベルヴァ・アン・ロックウッド（1884）(02 of18)
Belva Ann Lockwood became the first woman to run a full national presidential campaign in the United States, when she ran under the National Equal Rights Party in 1884. She was also one of the first practicing female lawyers in America. (credit:cliff1066™/Flickr)
マーガレット・チェイス・スミス（1964）(03 of18)
In 1964, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to have her name placed in nomination for president at a major political party\'s convention. She was also the first woman elected to serve in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. (credit:FPG via Getty Images)
ベラ・アバグ（1972）(04 of18)
A member of Congress and passionate civil rights and feminist activist, Abzug sought to win the Democratic nomination in 1972. (credit:Ron Galella via Getty Images)
パッツイー・タケモト・ミンク（1972）(05 of18)
1972 was a huge year for women and the presidential race, as several women made nomination bids. Patsy Mink, a member of Congress, was the first Asian American to run for nomination in a major political party when she sought out the Democratic nomination. (credit:Irideae/Flickr)
シャーリー・チザム（1972）(06 of18)
In 1972, activist Shirley Chisholm became the first black major-party candidate to run for president, and the first woman to run for the Democratic party presidential nomination. (credit:New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
リンダ・オスティーン・ジェニス（1972）(07 of18)
In 1972, Linda Jenness ran against Richard Nixon on the general election ballot in 25 states under the Socialist Workers Party. She was technically too young to run for president under the Constitution, at just 31. Jenness\'s presidential bid was mostly a statement in defiance of the Nixon government. (credit:Phil Slattery via Getty Images)
ソニア・ジョンソン（1984）(08 of18)
Sonia Johnson was a former Mormon who broke with the church when it publicly opposed the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1984, she ran for president as a U.S. Citizens Party and Peace and Freedom Party candidate. (credit:Glen Martin via Getty Images)
パトリシア・スコット・シュローダー（1987）(09 of18)
Schroeder became Colorado\'s first Congresswoman in 1972. In 1987, she sought the Democratic Party nomination but lost to Michael Dukakis. (credit:Alex Wong via Getty Images)
レノーラ・フラーニ（1988、1992）(10 of18)
Fulani ran as a third party candidate in 1988 and 1992 under the American New Alliance Party. (credit:New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
エリザベス・ドール（2000）(11 of18)
While her husband unsuccessfully ran for president in 1996, Elizabeth Dole made a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, raising over $5 million for her campaign. However, she ended her campaign before the first primary. (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
キャロル・モーズリー・ブラウン（2004）(12 of18)
Braun sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2003, but ended her campaign in January 2004 due to a lack of money. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
シンシア・マッキンニー（2008）(13 of18)
Cynthia McKinney secured a presidential nomination from the Green Party, an environmentalist political party, in 2008. McKinney served on Congress in Georgia for six terms. (credit:Mario Tama via Getty Images)
ミシェル・バックマン（2012）(14 of18)
Michelle Bachman ran a campaign to become the Republican candidate for president in 2012. (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
ロザンヌ・バー（2012）(15 of18)
In 2012 Roseanne Barr ran for president under the Peace and Freedom Party. She first announced her plans on The Tonight Show in 2011, joking that she was running as a member of the \"Green Tea Party.\" Later, she was nominated as candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party. (credit:Randy Holmes via Getty Images)
ジル・ステイン（2012、2016）(16 of18)
In 2012 Jill Stein won the presidential nomination of the Green Party. She\'s also the party\'s 2016 candidate. (credit:PAUL J. RICHARDS via Getty Images)
カーリー・フィオリーナ（2016）(17 of18)
This presidential race, Carly Fiorina, former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Co, sought the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 elections. (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ヒラリー・クリントン（2008、2016）(18 of18)
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran as US Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, and is now running again against Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) for the 2016 presidential election. (credit:Mark Makela via Getty Images)
この記事はハフポストUS版に掲載されたものを翻訳しました。