"Here, in the first paragraph of the Declaration [of Independence], is the assertion of the natural right of all to the ballot; for how can 'the consent of the governed' be given, if the right to vote be denied?"
Speech delivered before her trial for voting, 1873
Speech delivered before her trial for voting, 1873
The quote above is explaining why the right to vote for women is denied, when in the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence already states that the opinion from the governed, or the people (which includes women) is needed.
Susan Brownell Anthony
Childhood
Susan Brownell Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts in a reform-minded Quaker family. When they moved, she went to schools in Battenville, NY and used four months at a Quaker boarding school for girls near Philadelphia. After education, she became head of the female department of the Canajoharie Academy in 1846 and taught at many New York schools. At an early age, she was interested in several reform movements, mainly temperance movement and abortion movement. Instead of marrying and having children, she decided to focus on reform work. Anthony met with other reformers including Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison.
Inspiration
In 1851 through temperance worker, Amelia Bloomer met Stanton who three years earlier held the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. They became great friends, but despite Stanton's urge, Anthony still didn't accept her invitation in joining the women's rights movement. This thought changed when Anthony was not allowed to speak at a Sons of Temperance meeting in 1852. Anthony and other female delegates then founded the Women's State Temperance Society of New York (Stanton as president). She began committed to the cause of women's rights when she attended to her first women's rights convention in Syracuse, NY. She also began wearing the Bloomer costume like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but stopped after a year because of its ridiculousness. Later on, she became the chief organizer of different state and national women's rights conventions held in New York in years before the Civil War. She was also a state agent for American Anti-Slavery Society and worked to have equal pay for woman teachers.
Progression
During the Civil War, Anthony and Stanton both supported emancipation of slaves by forming the Women's National Loyal League. After the war, Anthony helped form the American Equal Rights Association for women's and black's suffrage. However, her colleagues believed it was "the Negro's hour", and should let African American Men receive their suffrage first before focusing on women's suffrage. Despite their advice, she still headed to Kansas to campaign for a state women's suffrage amendment. There, they met George Francis Train, a Democrat and financier would support Anthony by paying for a newspaper dedicated to women's suffrage. In January 1868, the two with Parker Pillsbury published their first issue of The Revolution. The newspaper consisted of articles on labor issues and trade unions, and didn't support the Fifteenth Amendment, because it gave the right to vote to only males and African American males, but not to women. A while later, Train cut back on the financial support so their paper was soon in debt. In 1870, they were forced to sell it, and in doing so, Anthony spent her next six years giving out lecture tours to repay the money lost.
In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association, which worked for the Sixteenth Amendment that would give women the right to vote was formed. Stanton served as president, while Anthony served as a member of the executive committee, but later on received the spot as vice president. The next year, their rival organization, the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed, who opposed a federal suffrage amendment and urged for state suffrage rights. The rest of Anthony's life was dedicated to women's suffrage movement. Besides working on a federal amendment, she took part in many state campaigns like the ones in California, South Dakota, and Michigan.
Taking Risks
In 1872, Anthony came to a conclusion that nothing in the Constitution prevented women to vote, and so she decided to register and vote in Rochester. What followed was that Anthony was arrested, tried, and had to pay a hundred dollar fine, in which she immediately refused to pay. This event caused so much ruckus the officers dropped the issue.
Continuing On
In the late 1870's, with the help from Stanton and others, they began to work on a history of the movement. In 1881, History of Woman Suffrage, the first of the supposed six volumes was published.
The two associations, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association united in 1890 as the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Anthony was the vice president but in 1892, she moved up a spot to be president of the organization, getting ahead of Stanton. She made her first tour of the South in 1895, and spoke in white churches and schools to urge for equality for women and African Americans. In 1900, Anthony resigned from the National American Woman Suffrage Association but still continued to work for reform. The same year she opened the University of Rochester for women. Anthony rejoined with Carrie Chapman Catt in 1904, (before they helped organize the International Council of Women in 1888), to found the International Woman Suffrage Association in Berlin where Anthony was president again.
Aging
Her last speech was made at a convention in Baltimore on February 1906, leaving the idea: "Failure is impossible." She died a little later after the speech in Rochester on March 13, 1906 at the age of 86.
Susan Brownell Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts in a reform-minded Quaker family. When they moved, she went to schools in Battenville, NY and used four months at a Quaker boarding school for girls near Philadelphia. After education, she became head of the female department of the Canajoharie Academy in 1846 and taught at many New York schools. At an early age, she was interested in several reform movements, mainly temperance movement and abortion movement. Instead of marrying and having children, she decided to focus on reform work. Anthony met with other reformers including Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison.
Inspiration
In 1851 through temperance worker, Amelia Bloomer met Stanton who three years earlier held the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. They became great friends, but despite Stanton's urge, Anthony still didn't accept her invitation in joining the women's rights movement. This thought changed when Anthony was not allowed to speak at a Sons of Temperance meeting in 1852. Anthony and other female delegates then founded the Women's State Temperance Society of New York (Stanton as president). She began committed to the cause of women's rights when she attended to her first women's rights convention in Syracuse, NY. She also began wearing the Bloomer costume like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but stopped after a year because of its ridiculousness. Later on, she became the chief organizer of different state and national women's rights conventions held in New York in years before the Civil War. She was also a state agent for American Anti-Slavery Society and worked to have equal pay for woman teachers.
Progression
During the Civil War, Anthony and Stanton both supported emancipation of slaves by forming the Women's National Loyal League. After the war, Anthony helped form the American Equal Rights Association for women's and black's suffrage. However, her colleagues believed it was "the Negro's hour", and should let African American Men receive their suffrage first before focusing on women's suffrage. Despite their advice, she still headed to Kansas to campaign for a state women's suffrage amendment. There, they met George Francis Train, a Democrat and financier would support Anthony by paying for a newspaper dedicated to women's suffrage. In January 1868, the two with Parker Pillsbury published their first issue of The Revolution. The newspaper consisted of articles on labor issues and trade unions, and didn't support the Fifteenth Amendment, because it gave the right to vote to only males and African American males, but not to women. A while later, Train cut back on the financial support so their paper was soon in debt. In 1870, they were forced to sell it, and in doing so, Anthony spent her next six years giving out lecture tours to repay the money lost.
In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association, which worked for the Sixteenth Amendment that would give women the right to vote was formed. Stanton served as president, while Anthony served as a member of the executive committee, but later on received the spot as vice president. The next year, their rival organization, the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed, who opposed a federal suffrage amendment and urged for state suffrage rights. The rest of Anthony's life was dedicated to women's suffrage movement. Besides working on a federal amendment, she took part in many state campaigns like the ones in California, South Dakota, and Michigan.
Taking Risks
In 1872, Anthony came to a conclusion that nothing in the Constitution prevented women to vote, and so she decided to register and vote in Rochester. What followed was that Anthony was arrested, tried, and had to pay a hundred dollar fine, in which she immediately refused to pay. This event caused so much ruckus the officers dropped the issue.
Continuing On
In the late 1870's, with the help from Stanton and others, they began to work on a history of the movement. In 1881, History of Woman Suffrage, the first of the supposed six volumes was published.
The two associations, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association united in 1890 as the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Anthony was the vice president but in 1892, she moved up a spot to be president of the organization, getting ahead of Stanton. She made her first tour of the South in 1895, and spoke in white churches and schools to urge for equality for women and African Americans. In 1900, Anthony resigned from the National American Woman Suffrage Association but still continued to work for reform. The same year she opened the University of Rochester for women. Anthony rejoined with Carrie Chapman Catt in 1904, (before they helped organize the International Council of Women in 1888), to found the International Woman Suffrage Association in Berlin where Anthony was president again.
Aging
Her last speech was made at a convention in Baltimore on February 1906, leaving the idea: "Failure is impossible." She died a little later after the speech in Rochester on March 13, 1906 at the age of 86.
Susan B. Anthony
Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Modifications ©2003 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Modifications ©2003 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com.