Susan B. Anthony Fought for Women’s Rights and Civil Rights

What did Susan B. Anthony do? Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights, fought for civil rights, or worked for women’s rights. She was a leader of the women’s suffrage movement, which fought for women’s right to vote. From the 1850s until her death in 1906, Anthony organized campaigns, gave speeches, published newspapers, and worked tirelessly to secure voting rights for women. Though she died 14 years before women gained the vote (Nineteenth Amendment, 1920), her leadership was essential to the suffrage movement’s eventual success.

For the citizenship test, you need to know that Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights or civil rights. Understanding her work helps explain how women gained equal rights.

The Essential Facts

For the citizenship test, remember: Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights and civil rights.

Key facts about Susan B. Anthony:

Born: February 15, 1820, in Adams, Massachusetts
Died: March 13, 1906, in Rochester, New York
Main Cause: Women’s suffrage (right to vote)
Strategy: Speeches, organizing, publications, civil disobedience
Famous Act: Voted illegally in 1872, was arrested and tried
Legacy: Nineteenth Amendment (1920) giving women the vote is sometimes called the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment”
Honor: First woman on U.S. currency (Susan B. Anthony dollar, 1979)

Early Life and Activism

Susan B. Anthony’s background shaped her activism:

Quaker Family:
Anthony grew up in a Quaker family that believed in equality and social reform. Quakers supported women’s education and participation in public life more than most religious groups at the time.

Teaching Career:
Anthony worked as a teacher but discovered women teachers were paid far less than men. This inequality angered her and drove her toward activism.

Temperance Movement:
Anthony first became involved in the temperance movement (fighting alcohol abuse). Women often suffered from husbands’ alcoholism and domestic violence. The temperance movement was one of the first public causes where women could participate.

Denied Speech:
In 1852, Anthony attended a temperance convention and tried to speak. She was told women were not allowed to speak at such gatherings. This discriminatory treatment pushed her toward the women’s rights movement.

Meeting Elizabeth Cady Stanton:
In 1851, Anthony met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who became her lifelong friend and collaborator. Their partnership became the driving force of the women’s suffrage movement. Stanton wrote speeches; Anthony organized and traveled.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement

Anthony dedicated her life to women’s suffrage:

Seneca Falls Convention (1848):
Before Anthony became prominent, the first women’s rights convention was held at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the “Declaration of Sentiments,” modeled on the Declaration of Independence, demanding women’s rights including suffrage.

Anthony, though not present, would build on this foundation.

Strategy:
Anthony used multiple tactics:

• Organizing: Created women’s rights organizations, state and national
• Petitions: Collected thousands of signatures on petitions to state legislatures and Congress
• Speeches: Traveled constantly giving speeches (averaging 75-100 speeches per year)
• Publications: Published newspapers spreading women’s rights ideas
• Lobbying: Pressured politicians to support women’s suffrage
• Civil Disobedience: Deliberately broke laws to challenge them

National Organization:
In 1869, Anthony and Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). This organization (later merged into the National American Woman Suffrage Association) led the suffrage movement for decades.

State-by-State Campaigns:
Anthony organized campaigns in many states to pass women’s suffrage amendments to state constitutions. Wyoming Territory granted women the vote in 1869. Utah Territory followed in 1870. But most states rejected suffrage for decades.

Federal Amendment:
While working on state campaigns, Anthony and other suffragists also pushed for a federal constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s voting rights nationwide. This amendment was first introduced in 1878 and finally passed in 1920.

The 1872 Arrest and Trial

Anthony’s most famous act was voting illegally:

The Action (November 5, 1872):
Anthony and several other women registered to vote in Rochester, New York. On Election Day, they voted. At the time, women could not legally vote in New York (or anywhere else for federal elections).

Arrested (November 18, 1872):
Anthony was arrested at her home for voting illegally. She refused to pay bail, hoping to challenge the law through habeas corpus proceedings. Her lawyer paid the bail against her wishes.

Trial (June 1873):
Anthony was tried in federal court. The judge was openly hostile. He:

• Refused to let Anthony testify (women could not testify in their own defense)
• Directed the jury to find her guilty without deliberation
• Fined her $100 (which she refused to pay)

The judge never forced payment, probably to prevent Anthony from appealing. She wanted to appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge women’s exclusion from voting, but without enforcement of the fine, she had no standing to appeal.

“I Have Been and Shall Be”:
When the judge asked if she had anything to say, Anthony gave a powerful speech: “I have been and shall be punished in the courts for voting. Failing to get justice in the courts, I appeal to you. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons?”

Impact:
The trial generated enormous publicity for women’s suffrage. Anthony turned her arrest into a platform to spread her message. She gave dozens of speeches about the trial.

Other Causes Susan B. Anthony Supported

Anthony fought for more than just suffrage:

Abolition:
Before the Civil War, Anthony was an abolitionist working to end slavery. She and Stanton organized the Women’s National Loyal League during the Civil War, collecting 400,000 signatures on petitions to abolish slavery. This contributed to the Thirteenth Amendment.

Education:
Anthony advocated for women’s access to higher education. Most colleges and universities did not admit women in the mid-1800s. Anthony worked to open educational opportunities.

Labor Rights:
Anthony supported working women’s right to fair wages and working conditions. She encouraged women to organize unions and fight for equal pay.

Property Rights:
Married women in the 1800s had no property rights—their husbands legally owned everything. Anthony fought for married women’s property rights, helping pass laws in New York and other states.

Dress Reform:
Anthony briefly supported dress reform, wearing “bloomers” (loose pants under a short skirt) to protest restrictive women’s clothing. She abandoned this when it distracted from suffrage work.

Fifteenth Amendment:
Anthony controversially opposed the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) giving Black men voting rights because it did not include women. This caused a split in the reform movement. Some activists supported the amendment as a step forward; Anthony and Stanton opposed it for excluding women.

This opposition revealed limitations in Anthony’s feminism—she prioritized gender over race and sometimes used racist arguments to support women’s suffrage.

Anthony’s Speaking and Writing

Anthony was a powerful communicator:

Speaking Style:
Anthony was not a naturally gifted orator like some of her contemporaries. She lacked the charisma of speakers like Stanton or Sojourner Truth. But she was effective through determination, clarity, and passion. She spoke plainly and directly, making logical arguments for women’s rights.

Tireless Schedule:
Anthony traveled constantly giving speeches—averaging 75-100 speeches per year for decades. She spoke in cities and small towns across America, spreading the suffrage message to communities that had never heard women’s rights arguments.

Publications:
Anthony published several newspapers:

• The Revolution (1868-1870): Newspaper advocating women’s rights and reforms
• History of Woman Suffrage (co-authored with Stanton): Multi-volume history documenting the movement

Organizing:
Anthony’s greatest gift was organization. She built networks, coordinated campaigns, managed organizations, and mobilized supporters. She was the movement’s administrator while Stanton provided intellectual leadership.

Anthony’s Final Years

Anthony continued working until her death:

International Work:
In her later years, Anthony helped found the International Council of Women (1888), spreading women’s rights ideas globally.

Passing the Torch:
Anthony mentored younger suffragists like Carrie Chapman Catt and Anna Howard Shaw, who would lead the movement to victory after her death.

Last Speech (1906):
At age 86, shortly before her death, Anthony gave her last speech at a suffrage convention. Her final public words were: “Failure is impossible!” This became the movement’s rallying cry.

Death (March 13, 1906):
Anthony died at age 86 in Rochester, New York. She did not live to see women gain the vote (1920), but she knew the movement would eventually succeed.

Funeral:
Ten thousand people attended her funeral. The mourners included suffragists from across the nation. Anthony’s death united the movement in determination to achieve the goal she had worked for.

The Nineteenth Amendment

Anthony’s work led to the Nineteenth Amendment:

Years of Struggle:
From the first suffrage convention (1848) to the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) took 72 years—longer than most people’s lifetimes.

Progress:
By the early 1900s, several Western states had granted women’s suffrage. World War I (1917-1918) changed attitudes as women’s war contributions proved their capabilities.

Final Push:
Suffragists led by Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul intensified pressure on Congress and President Woodrow Wilson. Protests, lobbying, and state campaigns created unstoppable momentum.

Passage:
Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify on August 18, 1920, giving the required three-fourths majority. Women could finally vote nationwide.

The Amendment:
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Susan B. Anthony Amendment:
The amendment is sometimes called the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” honoring her leadership in the suffrage movement.

Anthony’s Legacy

Susan B. Anthony’s legacy includes:

Women’s Suffrage:
Her lifetime of work contributed to the Nineteenth Amendment. While she did not live to see victory, her efforts were essential to the movement’s success.

Women’s Rights Movement:
Anthony helped establish that women deserve equal rights and should participate fully in public life. Her work laid the foundation for ongoing women’s rights activism.

Civil Disobedience:
Anthony’s willingness to be arrested for voting showed how civil disobedience can challenge unjust laws. Her example influenced later movements.

Organizing Model:
Anthony demonstrated how to build a social movement: organization, publicity, persistence, coalition-building, and strategic action.

Currency:
In 1979, Anthony became the first woman on U.S. currency when the Susan B. Anthony dollar was introduced. In 2020, the Sacagawea dollar replaced it, but Anthony’s appearance on currency honored her contributions.

Inspiration:
Anthony inspires feminists and activists today. Her quote “Failure is impossible!” encourages people fighting for justice.

Limitations and Criticisms

Anthony, like all historical figures, had limitations:

Racism:
Anthony sometimes used racist arguments to support women’s suffrage, suggesting educated white women should vote while Black men should not. While she had worked for abolition, her suffrage advocacy prioritized gender over racial justice.

Class Privilege:
Anthony focused on voting rights, which mattered most to middle-class women. Working-class women often prioritized economic issues like wages and working conditions. Anthony addressed these but made suffrage paramount.

Limited Feminism:
Anthony fought for political and legal equality but did not challenge all gender norms. Her feminism was radical for her time but limited by modern standards.

Opposition to Fifteenth Amendment:
Anthony’s opposition to the Fifteenth Amendment (Black men’s voting rights) because it excluded women revealed prioritizing gender over racial justice.

These limitations do not negate Anthony’s contributions but show that even heroic figures are flawed humans shaped by their times.

Why Anthony Matters Today

Susan B. Anthony matters because:

Women’s Suffrage:
She led the movement that secured voting rights for women—a fundamental democratic achievement.

Persistence:
Anthony worked for 50+ years without seeing victory. Her persistence inspired others to continue the fight.

Women’s Rights:
Anthony’s work laid the foundation for continuing women’s rights activism addressing pay equity, reproductive rights, political representation, and other issues.

Democratic Participation:
By fighting for women’s suffrage, Anthony expanded democracy to include half the population. This made America more representative.

Role Model:
Anthony demonstrated how one person’s dedication can create lasting change. She inspires activists today.

Connections That Matter

Understanding Susan B. Anthony connects to the Nineteenth Amendment. Her lifetime of work contributed to women gaining voting rights in 1920.

Anthony relates to American democratic development. Expanding suffrage from white male property owners to all citizens took generations. Anthony’s work was crucial to this expansion.

Anthony also connects to civil rights movements. Her tactics—organizing, civil disobedience, publicity—influenced later movements including the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

For more on women’s rights, see our articles on the Nineteenth Amendment and women’s suffrage in the uscis-questions category. To understand voting rights expansion, read about the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, Twenty-Fourth, and Twenty-Sixth Amendments. To learn about civil rights, explore articles on the Civil Rights Movement.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions

What did Susan B. Anthony do?
She fought for women’s rights and civil rights, especially the right to vote. This is the answer for the citizenship test.

Did Susan B. Anthony see women get the vote?
No. She died in 1906. Women gained voting rights with the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, fourteen years after her death.

Why did Anthony vote illegally in 1872?
To challenge laws prohibiting women from voting. She hoped to appeal to the Supreme Court and have women’s voting rights recognized. The court proceedings prevented her appeal.

Was Anthony ever punished for voting?
She was fined $100 but never paid it. The judge never forced payment, possibly to prevent her from appealing to higher courts.

Did Anthony work alone?
No. She worked closely with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many other suffragists. The women’s rights movement was a collective effort by thousands of women (and some men).

What was Anthony’s relationship with Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
They were lifelong friends and collaborators for 50+ years. Stanton wrote speeches; Anthony organized. Their partnership drove the suffrage movement.

Did Anthony support other causes besides suffrage?
Yes. She supported abolition of slavery, women’s education, labor rights, and property rights for women.

Was Anthony controversial in her time?
Very. She was arrested, ridiculed, and opposed. Many people believed women should not vote or participate in public life. Anthony challenged these beliefs.

How is Anthony honored today?
The Nineteenth Amendment is sometimes called the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment.” She appeared on the Susan B. Anthony dollar (1979-1981, 1999). Her home in Rochester is a museum. Her birthday is celebrated.

What should I memorize for the citizenship test?
Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights (or civil rights). Know that she worked for women’s suffrage (the right to vote). This is sufficient for the test.