Buttons supporting Shirley Chisholm for president, 1972 In 1969 Chisholm became the first African American congresswoman when she was elected to represent New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of Brooklyn and a vocal supporter of women's rights, she was an advocate for her inner-city constituents and a hero to feminists nationwide. Under the slogan "Unbought and Unbossed" (the title of her 1970 autobiography), Chisholm made a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 but lost to George McGovern. After the campaign the Smithsonian collected these buttons from Chisholm and her supporters. See also: African American History, Buttons, Civil Rights Movement, Political Campaign Memorabilia, Women's History

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