EARLY LIFE & THOUGHTS
A group of Quakers discussing,
1824
Susan Brownell Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 to Lucy Read and Daniel Anthony in West Grove, Adams, Massachutes. Her life started off in the right direction from the minute she laid her eyes on the world. She was born into the Quaker Religion, which believed that men and women should have equal rights. Many people in this era concluded that it was not acceptable, but there was definitely a large chunk of people who did. Anthony learned to read and write at the age of three, and was home-schooled for one year at the age of five. The next year Anthony and her family moved to Battenville, New York. That was the year her parents decided to send her to a local public school. She quite liked school up until her teacher firmly refused to explain and teach long division because of her gender. That was a moment she would never forget. Anthony begun to pay close attention to her sister who was a women's right activist, and became extremely close to her. So close that her sister persuaded her to get a job at the Canajoharie Academy as the female headmistress. This job inspired her to fight to raise the women's salary's. At this academy the men got paid roughly four times as much as women.
THE TENSION RISES
Anthony met Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1851 at an anti-slavery conference. They turned out to be friends and partners in this life changing event for the rest of their lives. Together they began working together to earn rights for women. Stanton wrote speeches and spoke in public while Anthony organized and planned events. Both worked extremely hard. Anthony and Stanton made a petition together in 1854 and presented it to legislators in New York. 10,000 people signed their petition asking for equal rights yet the petition was rejected. 6 years later Anthony returned to the same legislators with several more petitions. This changed the legislator’s mind. A new law was passed, it gave married women with a residency in New York the right to own property. That was an amazing day for women, yet there were many more to come. They had to keep fighting for awareness and attention.
THE REVOLUTION BEGINS
Two activists eager to fight
So it began! Anthony took charge, and Stanton followed right behind. Tens of people supporting became hundreds, hundreds became thousands, thousands became hundred thousands, and pretty soon it was a nationwide problem. Tons of protests took place, as well as conventions, meetings, gatherings, etc. The first women's rights convention Anthony and Stanton organized took place in Seneca Falls, New York. It was probably the most remembered organized event of all women's suffrage meetings. Not only did the two women travel the nation speaking to women, they started their very own newspaper called "The Revolution". The newspaper explained situations in which could help show people throughout the nation reasons for women's rights. It also included articles about marraige, education, buisness, and women's history. Susan never seemed to stop fighting for what she believed in. She took her movement to an extreme that turned heads all over the world. In 1872 she broke the law by voting illegally, consequently she was arrested and ordered to pay a fine of $100, yet Susan refused to pay. Along with all their successes, Elizabeth and Susan wrote three books about woman suffrage. They also organized a meeting in 1888 for women from Asia and Europe to join her and Elizabeth to spread the demand for justice worldwide.
THE IMPACT & HOW IT LIVES ON TODAY
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
former female candidate for President
The impact Susan B. Anthony and everyone who supported her to fight for women's rights left an ongoing effect that still lives on today. Women now get close to all rights men do today. The picture to the left shows Hilary Rodham Clinton who ran for president and is now The United States Secretary of State Department. Today we have many women working jobs with men. January 2013 Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense, overwrote the regulation that stated women in the military could not go in to combat positions. Women are now an "integral part of the military". This has been possible thanks to Susan Brownell Anthony. If it wasn't for her leadership abilities and her reconization for this problem, women all over the world would be in lower positions for almost every job, and/or possibly not be allowed to work!