March 28, 2011 9:45AM 

# Geraldine Ferraro, a Milepost in Social Change 

By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) 

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[At the Britannica Blog](http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2011/03/geraldine-ferraro-triumph-feminism/) I reflect on the death of Geraldine Ferraro and the dramatic changes in women’s role in political and social life in a surprisingly short time:

> In the 1960s and 1970s feminism swept the field, overwhelming all opposition.

And if you don’t know who was the first woman in American history to win an electoral vote, or the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate who did not follow her father or husband into politics, [read the whole thing](http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2011/03/geraldine-ferraro-triumph-feminism/).

##### Related Tags 

[Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics) 

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