We The People Susan B Anthony Analysis

First and foremost, the fight for women’s rights is something that has occurred throughout time not only in the United States, but in every part of the world. When it comes to the United States, one cannot deny that it was an important historical event. “The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States had occupied better part of a century” (Source 1). Truly a struggle, for it was not acknowledged by men in the past, primarily white man who had full rights in the nation. Susan B. Anthony was an important leading figure of the Suffrage Movement and contributed to the Suffrage Movement.

In the early stages of the year 1873, social reformer, women's rights advocate, proponent of feminism, Susan B. Anthony, shed’s light on women being able to have a lawful right to vote, with an influential speech, that leads to equality for women and men, this protest coordinates women and voting, but also opens opportunity for women in everything that they do. Susan B. Anthony supports her claims in a forceful manner, by explaining the amount of suffrage taking place in women's lives, as a result of the lack of rights they have, she gives a valid example by explaining her arrest, for “the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote”, she states that she did not commit a crime, she just exercised her rights as a citizen guaranteed by the National Constitution. Anthony’s purpose is to exert the rights for women that are in the Constitution, that are being overlooked by the United States Government. She establishes a compelling tone for whom it applies to.

Susan Brownell Anthony was a magnificent women who devoted most of her life to gain the right for women to vote. She traveled the United States by stage coach, wagon, and train giving many speeches, up to 75 to 100 a year, for 45 years. She went as far as writing a newspaper, the Revolution, and casting a ballot, despite it being illegal.

In Susan B. Anthony’s speech, she reasons that the constitution grants these rights to not just male or white male citizens, but to “the whole people”(Source E) making the purpose of voting to serve as a means to “secure the blessing of liberty”(Source E) for oneself, and Anthony believed everyone should have an opportunity to participate. The pathos emotion in her diction moves the listener to feel what she was feeling, insisting that “women are citizens”(Source E) just like men. Hence, many women and people of color in the U.S. find themselves having to stand up to the authorities or the government to explain that they deserve to exercise the same liberties given to everyone else, sometimes in vain. In her speech, Anthony has to do just that, convince her listeners throughout her speech that she in fact committed no crime at all, but simply “exercised her citizens rights”(Source E). In order to do this, he even went as far as saying that laws that limited women and other minorities voting capabilities was a “violation of the supreme law”(Source E). Moreover, the modern day voting system reflects, under closer inspection, that the power does not truly lie with the people, but only with the representatives elected by the people-- which impedes on the civil liberties of the entire country. Such corrupt systems of government imposing laws limiting the freedom of particular groups further prove that civil liberty

In 1921, women were granted suffrage, but suffragists were still hungry for more. Knowing that the right to vote would not eliminate sex discrimination in America, Alice Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment to step closer to equality. After half a century of struggle, women in America are still fighting for rights that men were given to when they were born. Even though women are just as intelligent, capable and hardworking as men, if not more, they are not considered an equal under the U.S. Constitution. Can you believe that today, in the 21st century, we still degrade women and treat them as inferiors to men? Can you believe that just because you are a woman, you are less than equal to the male population? Look around you, all those boys and girls are not equal to each other under our “just” country’s laws. As it is long overdue, the Equal Rights Amendment should be ratified because there is no other amendment that talks about sex discrimination, it would eliminate any inequality in regards to sex, and it would make the judicial stance on sex discrimination cases much clearer.

The Progressive Era was full of people wanting to change their surroundings and laws in

America was founded on the principals on “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence) with the promise that “all men are created equal” (Ibid) granted irrefutable rights by God. However, the same lawmaking men that wrote these words were the same men who could have instituted changes at the founding of this country. However, with monetary incentives and political greed as motivating factors they chose to continue with the standing conditions. Post American Revolution, there was a growing Women’s Suffrage movement in the early 1800’s. The Revolution itself was a battle cry for democracy and the promise that there

Susan B. Anthony entered the juryless courtroom. A judge sat before her. Just shortly after she arrived, Anthony said, “I have many things to say. My every right, constitutional, civil, political and judicial has been tramped upon. I have not only had no jury of my peers, but I have had no jury at all” (ecssba.rutgers.edu). Anthony stressed that the laws were not fair only because they were created by men. The courtroom tensed as she made more points clearly proving the judge wrong about the laws made forth in the United States. Susan B. Anthony refused to sit, fearing that it would be her last chance to speak her freedom in the courtroom. The tension was brewing and the judge continued to rebut Anthony’s firm arguments. She made it clear that it was biased laws that were being created against women. Anthony wanted to change that. Her confident statements about her fine for one-hundred dollars because of her decision to vote even though it was against the law, made the courtroom quiet. Many uncomfortably shifted back and forth in their chairs, looking at Anthony’s every movement. Anthony maintained a calm, yet effective speech despite the pressure upon her. She continued to state that it was only wrong of her to vote because she was a woman, and that she was not being treated like a human being as stated in the amendments. Susan B. Anthony, women’s rights fought the injustice. She spent

Susan B. Anthony has gone through many rough times and had to go through many obstacles. She has had many ideas to try and get women equal rights. Susan, I believe, is an amazing person to accomplish what she did. This is the reason she should be in the History Hall of Fame.

Susan B. Anthony once said, “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.” (Brainy Quote) Susan B. Anthony is a recognizable name, but one that is not rightfully credited for the equal society we live in today. During her time, “equal” was a feared term for many American citizens, and at the mention of this word, many turned their heads. To some, equal meant white, middle-class men giving away their to control to those who were “unfit” to have any sort of decision-making role in society; women and African American’s. Whether it was her Quaker upbringing or her inborn strength, Susan B. Anthony refused to live in a world where any type of person was treated unequally. Although she started as an abolitionist and temperance movement activist, she went on to become one of the most influential suffragists in United States History. Susan B. Anthony’s fiery passion and courage regarding the equal rights of all people, regardless of gender or color, started a revolutionary movement that impacted not only the United States, but the entire world.

All of you here have heard and read the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. The line that resonates with most people is “that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. America was founded on this principle, and many argue that this idea still stands today. However, if one were to look at the treatment of women in the United States over the course of time, one could conclude that not everyone residing in America is fortunate enough to have the same opportunities economically, at home, and even in regards to their own body.

Since the dawn of time, men have always been deemed the superior race. Men were leader and kings. They were always more educated and held better-paying jobs. In the United States, the dominant group is white protestant males. Whenever, women or young children, especially young girls, try to rise up, they have been shot done. The tides have been changing, though, with more women standing up for equality and their constitutional rights. Where would women be without outspoken women like Susan B. Anthony or Florence Kelley. Florence Kelley, who was a United States Social worker and reformer, delivered a speech before the conventions of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, that presents the argument against unjust labor laws for women and children, using rhetorical devices that drives her message home.

In fact, woman Political activist had been irritated to think that black men would get rights as a citizen before them. Woman at this time were not considered citizens. “Fifteenth amendment, which was also designed to address citizenship generally and the position of former slaves more particularly, specified that states could not discriminate in providing the right to vote on the basis of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.”(Ritter, Pg. 352) After this amendment woman had fought more for their right to have political standings. Ritter had shown that claims that woman were not citizens before or during this

On February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts, a woman by the name of Susan Brownell Anthony was born to parents Daniel and Lucy (Read) Anthony. She was the second born of a strongly rooted Quaker family of eight (Hist.Bio.-1). Because they lived in a Quaker neighborhood, Susan was not heavily exposed to slavery. The family made anti-slavery talks an almost daily conversation over the dinner table. She also saw men and women on the same level (Stoddard 36). “A hard working father, who was not only a cotton manufacturer, but a Quaker Abolitionist also, prevented his children from what he called childish things such as toys, games and music. He felt that they would distract his children from reaching their peak of

Throughout the U.S history, women have fought a long journey in order to be treated fairly and equally. When women arrived to this country, they were seen as housewives who only served their families, nothing less and nothing more. As time progressed, many women started to disagree with the idea of being just housewives and believed they were capable of many great things such as having the right to vote, and being able to work outside of home. Eventually, it started to create inequalities of the legal statuses of men and women. Around the mid-nineteenth century, the women’s right movement started bringing controversial