Tennessee Claflin

Tennessee Claflin (born 1844) was the younger sister of Victoria Woodhull. The sisters were born in poverty and were like minded in their activism for women's rights and suffrage. The brokerage firm they founded was backed by Cornelius Vanderbilt, with whom it was rumoured, Tennessee was having an affair. The brokerage was successful because they tapped a new market of society wives, widows, actresses, prostitutes as well as small business owners and teachers.

During the summer of 1872, Claflin made a bid for the colonelcy of the Regiment of the New York National Guard. The Regiment ignored Claflin's offer, but she was invited to run for the colonelcy of the newly organized Eighty-Fifth Regiment for black soldiers. Aware of her past advocacy and her professional success, the members of the Eighty-Fifth elected Claflin colonel.

Like her sister, Tennessee believed women should be architects of their own lives and, for that, she suffered abuse and vilification.

Tennessee and Victoria moved to England. Tennessee met and married a baronet, Francis Cook, and became Lady Cook. They lived at Doughty House in Surrey. She founded a bank, Lady Cook and Co. 

She died in 1923.  (Adapted from Wikipedia)

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