Susan Brownell Anthony: The National Woman Suffrage Association

In the (1840-1920) women wanted to feel like they have a voice in politics and have the right to vote. Women lacked many rights such as the right to vote, to serve on juries, or to hold public office, women found it very difficult to do as they wanted in the 1800s, they were excluded from public life and were left in charge of the home and children. Susan Brownell Anthony was the most talked about person when it came to Women’s Suffrage. Anthony was an icon for the movement she traveled the country giving speeches, circulate petitions, and organized local women’s rights organizations. In the mid 1800s Susan worked as a teacher in Canajoharie, New York and was involved with the teacher’s union. National American Women Suffrage Association was

one of many of the organizations to help the Women’s Suffrage movement. The NAWSA was the most important organization in the national fight for women’s suffrage, it marked an absence of amendments to the national constitution

The struggle for equal rights among men and women was not an easy task. As the women’s suffrage progressed most of the suffragist realized that gaining the vote would not be so easily done. Although the women longed to have as many rights as men did they thought that the status quo should not be disturbed. These women in the suffrage movement weren’t your everyday woman, these women believed they should have a their own rights. With the settlement and development of Texas, men and women were partners in hardship and work but not in politics. Texas was a very independent republic and as a state in the union, they granted women to have no voting rights as men did. In 1878 the 19th amendment was first introduced to congress. After several protest the 19th amendment was passed. The first vote on woman suffrage is taken in the Senate and is defeated. The National council of women in the U.S. is established to promote the advancement of women in society. The United States demanded for the enfranchisement of American women it was first formulated at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.
Susan Brownell Anthony helped organize the National Woman Suffrage Association, the organization would focus on securing federal woman suffrage.

During the World War I era when the men went off to Europe to fight for the democracy, millions of women took their place working in the factories, mills, and mines. It seemed very odd to all that we would fight for democracy in other countries. During this era, it became very hard for opponents of women’s suffrage to deny that women are as equal as men. Susan Brownell Anthony was born on a farm near Adams, Massachusetts on February 15, 1820 and past away on March 13, 1906. Susan along with her brothers and sisters received the bulk of her formal education in a home school established by her father. In 1839 Anthony left home to teach and help pay off her father’s debts. Susan taught for ten years in district schools, private academies, and families, concluding her career as head of the female department in the academy at Canajoharie, New York. Anthony organize petition drives for women’s rights, including women’s suffrage, in 1854 she began going door to door in each county of New York state obtaining signatures to present to the legislature. Soon Anthony incorporated women’s rights into three other reform movements; temperance, labor, and education. 1869 Anthony formed the National Women Suffrage Association, this organization would focus on securing a federal woman suffrage amendment. The woman suffrage amendment worked on a key state of campaigns for the vote. Anthony was later arrested in 1873 she was tried in the U.S. District Court in Canandaigua, New

York.

Women’s Suffrage was supported for the first time in 1912 by major political parties. That marked their hard efforts and women began having their own voice and were able to vote. After the Civil War, Anthony began focus more on women’s rights. Anthony helped establish the American Equal Rights Association in 1866 with Stanton, calling for the same rights to be granted to all regardless of race. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth C. Stanton created and produced The Revolution, a weekly publication that lobbied for women’s rights in 1868. In the following years Anthony and Stanton founded the National Women Suffrage Association. Susan was tireless in her efforts, giving speeches around the country to convince others to support a woman’s right to vote. Anthony took matters into her own hands in 1872 when she voted illegally in the presidential election, Anthony was arrested for the crime, and she unsuccessfully fought the charges; she was fined $100.