How did Susan Anthony appeal her arrest?
Anthony’s attorneys researched a way to appeal her arrest and detention to the Supreme Court of the United States. They decided that a petition to the district court for a writ of habeas corpus would ensure it would reach the Supreme Court, even though Congress in 1868 had repealed the provision for appeals on writs of habeas corpus from the lower Federal courts to the Supreme Court. Attorney John Van Voorhis argued that Anthony had a right to vote and petitioned the district court for a writ of habeas corpus that would bring Anthony before the court so that the judge could rule if she were properly held in custody.
Why did Susan Anthony want to vote?
Anthony’s logic was based on the recently adopted 14th Amendment that stated that “all persons born and naturalized in the United States . . . are citizens of the United States.” Anthony reasoned that that since women were citizens, and the privileges of citizens of the United States included the right to vote, states could not exclude women from the electorate.
What amendment did Anthony believe in?
Anthony’s logic was based on the recently adopted 14th Amendment that stated that “all persons born and naturalized in the United States . . . are citizens of the United States.”. Anthony reasoned that that since women were citizens, and the privileges of citizens of the United States included the right to vote, ...
What amendment did Miss Anthony have?
Judge Hunt declared that “The Fourteenth Amendment gives no right to a woman to vote, and the voting by Miss Anthony was in violation of the law.” He rejected Anthony’s argument that her good faith prohibited a finding that she “knowingly” cast an illegal vote and stated that “Assuming that Miss Anthony believed she had a right to vote which was illegal, and thus is subject to the penalty of law.” He surprised Anthony and her attorney by directing the jury deliver a verdict of guilty.
What questions did the election inspectors ask Anthony?
Taking the steps required by state law when a challenge occurred, the election inspectors asked Anthony under oath if she was a citizen, if she lived in the district, and if she had accepted bribes for her vote. Anthony answered these questions to their satisfaction, and the inspectors promptly placed her ballot in the boxes.
What is the 15th amendment?
The 15th Amendment’s reference to the “right of citizens of the United States to vote” suggested women’s right as citizens to vote. Fundamentally, woman suffragists’ objective was to validate their interpretation through either an act of Congress or a favorable decision in Federal courts.
When was the 15th amendment ratified?
15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified February 3, 1870, (National Archives Identifier 299797) On November 5, 1872, in the first district of the Eighth Ward of Rochester, New York, Anthony and 14 other women voted in an election that included choosing members of Congress. The women had successfully registered to vote several ...
How many speeches did Susan Anthony give?
Anthony wound up earning her living as a public speaker, traveling the U.S. and delivering as many as 100 speeches a year. She frequently collaborated on the text of her speeches with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Why was Susan Anthony arrested?
In 1872, Anthony was arrested for voting in her hometown of Rochester, N.Y. The speech she gave after her arrest, " On Women's Right to Vote ," is widely regarded as one of her best--as well as one of the finest speeches in American history.
What did Susan Anthony do?
She died 14 years before its passage in 1920. Anthony pushed for equality on many fronts, including women's access to the podium. In 1853, she showed up to speak at the New York Teachers' Association to advocate for equal pay.
Who forged the thunderbolts?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) who "forged the thunderbolts" for Anthony (right) to fire.
Is sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of?
For any state to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people, is to pass a bill of attainder, or , an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land.
Reason #1 – She Kept It Short
Reason #2 – The Speech Had Passion
- Politicians are well-versed in keeping emotion out of their speeches. Despite her passion for politics, Anthony had no such disposition. She approached her speech with the same passion and fire with which she approached all of her suffrage efforts. Anthony attacked her oppressors with ferocity and made her anger clear throughout the speech. Take th...
Reason #4 – She Used Logic as Well as Passion
- If Anthony’s speech was nothing but an attack, it may not have influenced anybody. People do not like to feel as though you’re berating them. Men, in particular, may have felt a temptation to ignore Anthony’s words because of her directness and passionate attack. Anthony recognised this, which is why she tempered her speech with a simple rhetorical question. “Are women persons?” Prior t…
The Final Word
- Unfortunately, Susan B. Anthony didn’t live to see women attain the right to vote. But her rebellious nature and impassioned speaking played huge roles in the suffrage movement. Anthony influenced an entire generation of people and inspired them to stand up against an unjust system. Her passion made her one of the most effective storyshowers of her era. As importantly, her abil…