Susan B. Anthony

Definition

Susan B. Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement, advocating for women's right to vote in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Susan B. Anthony was arrested and convicted for voting in the 1872 presidential election, as women were not yet granted the right to vote at the time.
2. Anthony traveled extensively, delivering speeches and organizing rallies to raise awareness and garner support for the women's suffrage movement.
3. She collaborated closely with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, her longtime friend and fellow suffragist, to publish the influential newspaper 'The Revolution' and advocate for women's rights.
4. Anthony played a crucial role in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1920 and granted women the right to vote nationwide.
5. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1979 for her lifelong dedication to the women's suffrage cause.

Review Questions

• Describe Susan B. Anthony's contributions to the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
  • Susan B. Anthony was a pioneering leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She co-founded the National American Woman Suffrage Association and worked tirelessly to raise awareness and garner support for the cause, traveling extensively and delivering speeches to advocate for women's right to vote. Anthony's activism and collaboration with fellow suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton were instrumental in the eventual ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which granted American women the right to vote nationwide.
• Explain the significance of Susan B. Anthony's arrest and conviction for voting in the 1872 presidential election.
  • Susan B. Anthony's arrest and conviction for voting in the 1872 presidential election was a pivotal moment in the women's suffrage movement. At the time, women were not yet granted the right to vote, and Anthony's defiant act of casting a ballot was a bold statement challenging the existing laws and social norms. Her arrest and subsequent trial brought national attention to the women's suffrage cause, and her conviction, despite the lack of a valid legal basis, further highlighted the need for constitutional change to secure women's right to vote.
• Analyze the lasting impact of Susan B. Anthony's legacy on the advancement of women's rights in the United States.
  • Susan B. Anthony's legacy has had a profound and lasting impact on the advancement of women's rights in the United States. As a pioneering leader of the women's suffrage movement, her tireless advocacy and activism were instrumental in the eventual ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote. Beyond her direct contributions to the suffrage cause, Anthony's unwavering dedication to the principle of gender equality and her willingness to challenge societal norms have inspired generations of women to assert their political and civil rights. Her legacy continues to shape the ongoing struggle for women's empowerment and representation in all spheres of American society.

Related terms

Women's Suffrage Movement: The political movement to grant women the right to vote, which was led by pioneers such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott.

Nineteenth Amendment: The constitutional amendment that granted American women the right to vote, which was ratified in 1920 after decades of advocacy by the women's suffrage movement.

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA): The leading organization that coordinated the women's suffrage movement in the United States, co-founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.