“In Rochester, N.Y., women covered the gravestone of Susan B. Anthony with “I voted” stickers. Many wore white in honor of Anthony, who fought for women’s suffrage, an effort that culminated with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. Women have been on the national ballot before, but never as the presidential nominee for one of the two major parties.” 1
Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 to Daniel and Lucy Read Anthony.2 She was one of seven children. Originally from Adams, Massachusetts, her family moved to Battenville, New York where her parents encouraged all of their children to value self-reliance and principled convictions. She and her family were members of the Quaker religion, which allowed the family to live modestly and practiced non-violence and respect for all people, regardless of race or background.3 Growing up, her sisters and mother would stay at home and do domestic work, while her dad ran a mill. Once her father had enough savings from managing the mill, he sent Susan and one of her sisters to be educated at a boarding school in Pennsylvania, run by the Friends of the Quakers. She graduated at the age of fifteen, and got a job for a modest salary as a teacher. Once she found out that she was making 20% less than men at the school, she went to the school’s administrators and protested that they should be receiving equal pay. Her protests led to her dismissal from the school, and she returned home.4
Susan and her family were both heavily involved in the abolition, temperance, and women’s rights movements. Her parents attended the Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls in 1848 and signed the Declaration of Women’s Rights.5 One significant event that paved the way for her passion for women’s rights occurred in 1852, while she attended a meeting. As she rose to speak on a certain topic, she was ignored by all of the men in the room; angered and insulted she stormed out and soon founded the Women’s State Temperance Society. This was the incident that convinced her to fight for the right for women to vote. She felt as if it was the cornerstone of women’s fight for respect and equality.6 She attended her first Women’s Rights convention in 1852 and from then until the end of the American Civil War, she campaigned from door to door, in legislatures, and in meetings for the abolition of slavery and the promotion of women’s rights. Her persistency and hard work led to married women in New York to own their own property, keep their own wages, and have custody of their children in case of a separation or divorce. She was paving the way for the future as we know it.
In 1889, the National Woman’s Suffrage Association merged with the American Woman Suffrage Association to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association. In 1890, Wyoming became the first state to allow women the right to vote. Susan is the reason today why women can vote and without all of her hard work, women may not have that right. She did not live to see the Nineteenth Amendment but she made a great deal of influence on legislation. Before she died on March 13, 1906, she was able to see all of her hard work in action by four states giving women the right to vote. In her last public speech she gave, she ended with, “Failure is impossible.”7
- Joel Achenbach, “Women cover Susan B. Anthony’s grave with ‘I voted’ stickers as ‘Pantsuit Nation’ goes to the polls,” The Washington Post, November 8, 2016. ↵
- Reconstruction Era Reference Library, 2005, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.” ↵
- Reconstruction Era Reference Library, 2005, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.” ↵
- Reconstruction Era Reference Library, 2005, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.” ↵
- Reconstruction Era Reference Library, 2005, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.” ↵
- UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, 2009, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.,” by Benson Sonia, et al. ↵
- UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, 2009, s.v. “Anthony, Susan B.,” by Benson Sonia, et al. ↵
65 comments
Maria Esquivel
When learning about history, you see how many men would feel superior and believed women were made to take care of the house and the children but then your learn about these incredible, brave individuals like Susan B. Anthony. Because of her courage she changed the lives of women and the way how we now have a voice by voting. I don’t think I will ever understand the way men belittled women but because of Susan Anthony and other women like her, America has become more equal.
Alexandra Cantu
This article did justice to Susan B. Anthony without her persistence and courage I would not have the right to vote today. It takes a brave soul to stand up for oneself but imagine standing up for every women in this nation to individuals who believe men are superior to others and their voice is the only one that matters. She battled for a really long time and was able to see her wish come true. Women like Susan B. Anthony encourage me to be brave and stand up for what I believe in.
Michelle Falcon
Susan B. Anthony is a name all woman should know. She did whatever she could to support women’s rights. She was an inspiration to most women and still is to this day. The article tells us how she is most known for her support to women’s right to vote. Susan was a women ahead of her time, and without all of her hard work women might not have the right to vote. She had a huge impact on women’s history. In the end this was a very well written article.
Clarissa Bustamante
Very good article! It was very informative and interesting. It is amazing to know that women back then were already thinking of ways to make a better and more enhanced future. Susan B. Anthony made an enormous mark in history and I enjoy reading about all her successes and her ideas. It is amazing amount of effort she put in search for support in her argument. She had such a supporting family and I think that is what helped her accomplish what she wanted to accomplish.
Osman Rodriguez
Uplifting article! Susan B. Anthony is someone I definitely consider brave. She stood up in the face of ideals, stereotypes, and oppression. Not only that, but she succeeded. She left her mark in this country and great one it was. Women being given the right to vote was something necessary and she pioneered this. I think many people take for granted how brave she was. That is true bravery and an example that shows, if you work for something hard enough, you can attain it.
Mariah Cavanaugh
Susan B. Anthony was a fierce fighter who refused to back down and submit to the rules. I can only imagine the amount of mansplaining she had to endure. She laid the groundwork for women’s rights and it is up to us today to continue that fight. It is amazing how far we have come since then and how far we still have to go for women to be treated equally.
Edith De Loera
I was not aware of the significant role that Susan B. Anthony played in battling women’s right to vote. It is so empowering to know how strongly determined women were when it came to defending themselves, even after being degraded time after time. Without a doubt, her parents did an outstanding job by influencing and supporting her. This article was extremely well-written and definitely a great read.
Cherice Leach
This article does a great job of giving insight on Susan B. Anthony’s life as well as shining some light on all the things she has accomplished for women’s rights. She is the true definition of a women’s activist. I think Susan B. Anthony was a powerful women who knocked down giant barriers that enabled women to be seen as equals (for the most part.) I never knew that she was credited for women’s right to vote, but it is very interesting.
Blanca Martinez
Wow, reading this made things much more clearer to me. It’s amazing how far women came because of Susan B. Anthony. Thanks to her, the female population has a chance to a better life. The sad part is that she died before she actually got the right to vote, but thanks to her we now have so many advantages we couldn’t have fathom. If it hadn’t been for this article I would not have known the struggles she had to get females to vote, like walking door to door or getting kicked out for asking for her rightful rights.
Maria Callejas
I’ve heard about her before, they wanted her to be in some dollar bill, but I didn’t what she had done. So thank you for the amazing/complete insight! As a woman, it is impressive to see how even in such antiquated time for female activism, Susan stood up for her rights. She was definitely raised to be a fearless and audacious individual, the perfect mixture for a “trendsetter”. Great conclusion, finishing up with that bold quote really leaves a stinging sensation; how proud she would be today to everything women have accomplished.