Hillary Clinton
If Hillary Clinton defeats Donald Trump
She will become the first female President of the United States.
Her life was spent at the epicenter of American politics – Clinton was the first lady, senator and US Secretary of State. Now she has reached the finish line of the presidential race.
Despite all the attention on Clinton, very few people feel they know the “real” Hillary. The BBC offers to remember the difficult path of Hillary Clinton from Chicago to the White House, in which she will try to return for the second time – this time not the first lady, but the president.
1. Meeting with Martin Luther King
Hillary was born October 26, 1947 to Dorothy and Hugh Rodham in Chicago. She will later recall that it was her parents who made her believe in herself: “I am grateful to my mother, who did not have the opportunity to go to college … but who gave me the faith that I could achieve anything I want.”
In the spring of 1962, one of the most controversial American figures, Martin Luther King, spoke in Chicago. After a speech about civil rights and the future of America, he shook hands with a 15-year-old girl from a conservative and predominantly white area of Chicago.
According to Hillary, this meeting had a very strong influence on her.
2. Republican turned Democrat
Hillary Clinton is running for president with the Democratic Party – but she was not always a Democrat. At school, she was a member of the Young Republicans and campaigned for Barry Goldwater.
Hillary was too young to vote, but later recalled that she was attracted to Goldwater “strong individualism.” “I was not born a Democrat,” she said.
Hillary’s political views changed at Wellesley College, and finally took shape at Yale Law School, where she met a young liberal named William Jefferson Clinton.
3. Watergate and early career
At Yale, Hillary and Bill quickly became inseparable. They rented their first home in New Haven, Connecticut, and began their long political journey together.
In 1972, they joined in supporting the presidential campaign of George McGovern, who openly criticized the US military actions in Vietnam. However, from the very beginning it was clear that they were unlikely to win this battle.
But already in January 1974, the telephone rang at Hillary and Bill’s home in Arkansas. An old acquaintance offered them a job that could be the start of their future career.
It was about investigating the corruption scandal that went down in history under the name of the Watergate case, and ended with the resignation of President Richard Nixon. It was John Doare, who led the impeachment investigation.
Bill was running for governor at the time, so he declined the offer. But Hillary agreed, and at the age of 26 she joined the team of lawyers who collected evidence for the second impeachment of a president in US history.
4. Marriage to Bill Clinton and the path to the White House
After Nixon’s resignation, Hillary faced a choice – better career opportunities in Washington or a loved one in Arkansas.
She chose Arkansas and began teaching law at the local university where Bill, who lost the race for governor by 6,000 votes, also worked.
Bill and Hillary got married in October 1975.
Hillary Clinton became a partner in a law firm, while Bill first became Attorney General and later Governor of Arkansas.
During her husband’s governorship, Hillary took an active part in his administration, and subsequently supported him in his run for president.
Close attention was riveted to the spouses, which became a real test for their relationship. In particular, Bill was accused of extramarital affairs with a woman named Jennifer Flowers.
Bill and Hillary denied these accusations during a TV appearance, and on November 3, 1992, Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States, and Hillary Clinton became First Lady.