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Civics & Government
Susan B. Anthony: Leader of the Women's Suffrage Movement
Decades of organizing for the right to vote
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Susan B. Anthony was one of the most important leaders of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. Born in 1820, she spent much of her life organizing, speaking, writing, and petitioning for equal political rights. Her work helped build a national movement that challenged laws denying women the right to vote. Although she died before women gained nationwide voting rights, her leadership helped make the 19th Amendment possible.
Key Facts
- Susan B. Anthony lived from 1820 to 1906.
- In 1872, Anthony was arrested for voting in a federal election in Rochester, New York.
- Anthony worked closely with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to organize the women's suffrage movement.
- The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, 14 years after Anthony's death.
- The 19th Amendment states that voting rights cannot be denied based on sex.
- Anthony also supported abolition, which was the movement to end slavery.
Vocabulary
- Suffrage
- Suffrage is the right to vote in political elections.
- 19th Amendment
- The 19th Amendment is the constitutional amendment that prohibited denying citizens the right to vote because of sex.
- Abolitionist
- An abolitionist is a person who worked to end slavery.
- Petition
- A petition is a written request signed by people who want a government or authority to take action.
- Civil Disobedience
- Civil disobedience is the deliberate breaking of a law to protest it as unjust.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Saying Susan B. Anthony wrote the 19th Amendment alone is wrong because suffrage was a large movement involving many leaders, organizations, and generations of activists.
- Thinking women gained the right to vote immediately after Anthony's arrest is wrong because her 1872 vote was a protest, and nationwide voting rights did not come until 1920.
- Forgetting Anthony's abolitionist work is wrong because her activism for women's rights was connected to broader reform movements for equality and citizenship.
- Assuming the 19th Amendment gave all women equal access to voting is wrong because many women of color still faced poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, and discriminatory laws.
Practice Questions
- 1 Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 and died in 1906. How old was she when she died?
- 2 Anthony was arrested for voting in 1872, and the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. How many years passed between these two events?
- 3 Explain why Anthony's decision to vote in 1872 can be considered an act of civil disobedience.