Susan B Anthony In The Women's Suffrage Movement

“Women, we might as well be dogs baying the moon as petitioners without the right to vote!” These were the famous words of a key leader in the women’s Suffrage Movement, Susan B. Anthony. In the past, the rights guaranteed to men were not applied to women, and therefore caused great injustice. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that women started to take a stand and fight for their voting rights. As a result, these actions caused a positive impact in our country and now, women have equal rights as men, as it should. There are some that say that it is just another part of history and that there is no importance behind it, in other words, it is irrelevant compared to the Civil Rights Movement for example. Women’s suffrage was a positive impact through the leadership of Susan B. Anthony, their hard work and contributions, and their succession in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.

For the longest time, women’s role in society was very narrow and set in stone. Women weren’t given the chance to decide life for their own, and there was a very sharp distinction of gender roles. Women were viewed as inferior, weak, and dependant. They were expected to be responsible for the family and maintainance of the house. But as the 19th century began, so did a drastic change in society. Women started voicing their opinions and seeking change. Trying to break away from this ideology called “cult of domesticity” was a lengthy, burdensome, and demanding struggle.

Women and those of color began to speak out for their right to vote and fight back against the injustices they were facing. Their problem was that if they didn’t have anyone in power to defend them, they wouldn’t make any progress. It was crucial for them to have the right to vote to get people in power that would help them get their unalienable rights. During the 1850s, the women’s rights movement gathered steam, but lost momentum when the Civil War began.

Following the American Civil War, the bloodiest armed conflict on US soil, slavery had been outlawed from the US. It had taken the US until January 31, 1865, less than two-hundred years ago, for slavery to be abolished. Yet, it was still abolished, albeit, later than many other nations throughout the world. It had taken yet over another year for the fourteenth amendment to be passed in June 13, 1866, making all former slaves into citizens. But, perhaps the greatest and most important right of all, the right essential to any democracy or republic, the right to vote, was given to former slaves through the fifteenth amendment.

Throughout America’s history the franchise has been withheld from different groups. This has been possible due to weakly written laws that do not provide adequate protections. In 1965 PL 89-110 was passed, this law, commonly known as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, finally provided real protections for minorities living in southern states. In recent years the language of the law was modified within the Supreme Court to take away the law’s primary power. In the following mock Congressional testimony we will go back to 1848, 13 years before the American Civil War, and provide evidence of why a law like PL 89-110 is necessary and commendable.

Susan B. Anthony was born February 15, 1820 and raised in very religious household. She first started off as teacher before she became and extravagant women that not just worked for herself but for many other women’s rights. Susan B. Anthony should be a historical figure due to the fact that she went through so much suffering. In which she fought for the women’s right to vote and as well as gender equality. Not only did she just fight for women’s right but as well to get rid of alcohol and did not support slavery by campaigning against them. People look down on her and despise her due to the reasoning that she voted illegally and took matter in to her own hands and was put into prison for it. Which cause women to get more hate and not receive their equal rights faster. Another reasoning people might not think she should be historical is because she said a racist comment. Despite all these things she dint just think of herself but for everyone. She never gave up and always kept writing and lecturing about equality which has helped every women have equal right and as well inspired many women that anything can be possible no matter their gender.

Who were the main people involved? Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott initiated the first Women's Suffrage Movement, July 19, 1848 at Seneca Falls Convention, New York. At this convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton echoed the preamble of the Declaration Of Independence. “ We hold these truths to be self- evident: that all men and women are created equally.” Proving that when we declared our independence it was for everyone not just men. In 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed an American Equal Rights Association. The Association was dedicated to the suffrage goals regardless of race or gender. Lucy Stone fought about the 15th Amendment, Ratified in 1870, and that the Amendment states that, “ The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.Many of the women involved in suffrage began political work in the antislavery

The battle for suffrage was a long and slow process. Many women tried to initiate the fight for suffrage, like Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. “These were the New Suffragists: women who were better educated, more career-oriented, younger, less apt to be married and more cosmopolitan than their previous generation.” (pg 17) Eventually, in 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified; allowing women to vote, but it was not any one person or event that achieved this great feat. It was the confluence of certain necessary factors, the picketing and parades led by Alice Paul, militaristic suffrage parties and the influence of the media that caused the suffrage amendment to be passed and ratified in 1920. But most importantly, they successfully moved both

vote in 1869. In the 1870’s Anthony campaigned vigorously for women’s right to vote, and

A government for the people, by the people, requires input from all its citizens. The American experiment is a great success that has inspired others to defend the voices of all its citizens. Yet, this was not always so. In the early years of our great democratic experiment we had reserved those unalienable rights to a select few. We discriminated based on race, gender, and color. Therefore, reformers began calling for changes. The reform movements of 1825-1855 in the U.S helped further develop democratic ideals by creating a new range of voters that were more educated, diverse, and healthy. It accomplished this by advocating towards women's suffrage, abolition, which would lead to African-American suffrage, progression towards a better educational

The women’s suffrage movement finally came to a pause during the Civil War period. Right around two years after the war ended, the movement leaders directed their focus to the Midwest. In 1867, Kansas became the first state in the United States to hold a public referendum on women’s suffrage. A gathering of issues relevant to the nineteenth-century came along where women were presented at this meeting, but suffrage in regards to the right of voting immediately became the base of the women 's suffrage movement. When the U.S. Constitution that was formed in 1920 where the 19th Amendment was established; American women secured one of the most important, valuable rights of citizenship in regard to the right to vote. This particular amendment embodied a significant milestone in the larger and a continuous struggle to ensure equal rights for women.

The American Constitution, as outlined in the Preamble, boldly defines its purpose as “We the People” (U.S. Constitution). Reasonableness suggests that the framers of the Constitution would provide appropriate legislation enhancing the citizenship’s right to actively participate in government via public elections given such a definitive statement expanding on the power of the people. However, American citizens do not possess a constitutionally protected right to vote. During the drafting period of the Constitution, only white male property owners could vote, however, voting rights have drastically changed throughout the history of the United States. Through amendments passed over the past two centuries, the Constitution has changed

Susan B. Anthony created many organizations to help women’s suffrage. In 1866, together abolitionist, such as Anthony, and Republican allies, they formed the American Equal Rights Association (Garland 61). This campaign would eventually lead up to the demanding that change of the United States Constitution. Anthony along with other activists created the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (McGill 2). This association was created in response to whether the women’s movement should support the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The timeline of women’s suffrage is a one that spans from 1848 to 1920. The women’s rights movement in the United States started in the year 1848 with the first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York. During this convention the ‘Declaration of sentiments’ was signed by 68 women who agreed that women deserved their own political identities. This document set forward the agenda for the women’s rights movement. In the year 1869, Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Women’s suffrage Association which demanded that the 15th amendment be changed to include women right to vote. In the year 1890, The National Women Suffrage Association and the American Women Suffrage Association merged to form National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Colorado was the first state to grant women the right to vote in the year 1893, followed by Utah, Idaho, Washington, California, Oregon, Kansas, Arizona, Alaska, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New York, Michigan, South Dakota and Oklahoma. The National Association of Colored Women was formed in the year 1896 to promote the civil rights of colored women. The National Women’s Trade Union League was established in the year 1903 in order to improve the working condition for women and also to bring their wages in par with that of men.

The main arguments of this book is about the work Susan B. Anthony did for the suffrage movement. I have chosen Susan B Anthony bibliography of A singular feminist to represent the feminist perspective. This book resonated with me because it showed how strong women are. The point of this book was to specifically, talk about her work as a woman's suffrage activist. The topics covered is about Susan B. Anthony sacrificing her entire life to advocate equal rights for women and to get slavery abolished. I think of her actions as being a phenomenal fearless woman. If she did not advocate fearlessly for women we wouldn't have the opportunities that exist today. For instance; being able to run for office or vote women wouldn't be able to participate in if it wasn't for her using her voice to make a change. I think that as human beings if we notice a law that