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| Source: Britannica |
Of many rights and/or privileges we tend to take for granted, one of these is the ability to vote. Some might say it is a right, others a privilege. I won't go into what I think about it, partly because it's a bit complicated, and partly because I'm not writing a blog about my political views. I learnt about suffragette Susan B. Anthony when I was a child, because she was referenced in Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls. Odd show to feature such a prominent figure, but that was the case. The villain in the episode was a misandrist who believed that women always draw the short end of the stick, and thus her villainous actions - in the form of stealing Susan B. Anthony coins - were justified. What she didn't know was that Anthony, while a feminist, did not believe misandry was the way to achieve true gender equality.
For some time, women had begun forming groups in order to fight for the ability to vote. At the same time, many of these suffragettes campaigned against slavery. On November 5th, 1872, Anthony along with a number of other women went to cast their votes. The poll watcher asked them if they had the right to vote, leading to him asking them to take an oath stating that they had the right, which they did. The issue here was that while they could not legally vote, the poll watcher could not deny them the ballot if they took the oath; to make it easier, they let the women vote. However, on November 14th, warrants had been issued for their arrests. Interestingly, when a deputy U.S. Marshal arrived at her house, he did not immediately arrest her but simply requested that they spoke in the Commissioner's office. When it was revealed to her that they meant to arrest her, Anthony demanded that she be arrested in the same way men were, since such gentle treatment would not have been granted to men. She even held out her hands, expecting to be handcuffed, but the officer thought it unnecessary. The other women who voted with Anthony were also arrested, along with the election inspectors who allowed them to vote. When bail was set at $500, everyone except Anthony posted bail, and subsequently, the Commissioner authorised the U.S. Marshal to place Anthony in the county hail - something that never ended up happening.
These arrests sparked conversations all over the country. Before the trial, Anthony was able to give speeches in 29 towns and villages in the county where her trial would be held. She cited the Fourteenth (14th) Amendment, which granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," including former slaves, as her justification to vote. She argued that if the 14th Amendment could not be used as legal justification for her ability to vote, the nature of personhood for women was thus challenged: "Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any new law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities." In one particular speech, she pointed out that New York's tax laws were gendered, referring to "he" or "him," yet taxes were still collected from women at this time. She concluded, "I insist if government officials may thus manipulate the pronouns to tax, fine, imprison and hang women, women may take the same liberty with them to secure themselves their right to a voice in the government." When the trial finally occurred, it was decided that Anthony would have to pay a fine of $100 (the equivalent of over $2000 today), which she refused and never paid. A deputy federal marshal attempted to collect the fine in the form of seizing any property she owned, but they could not find anything of worth. The court eventually dropped the matter. In the matter of the election inspectors, the women who voted with Anthony believed that the inspectors should not have been arrested or jailed, and thus visited them and bringing food for them.
The entire case brought the women's suffrage issue to the forefront of national news. A number of further trials took place later on, but ultimately, sympathy for the suffrage moment was on the rise. The speeches Anthony made sparked doubt in the minds of those who believed only men ought to be able to vote, as well as hope for women that they could one day achieve an equal ability to vote. Unfortunately, Anthony would die 14 years before an amendment would be passed and ratified that would prohibit states and the federal government from denying any citizen of the United States from voting on the basis of sex. Nonetheless, the efforts of Anthony and her colleagues within the women's suffrage movement laid the foundation for the rights we now have today.
For some time, women had begun forming groups in order to fight for the ability to vote. At the same time, many of these suffragettes campaigned against slavery. On November 5th, 1872, Anthony along with a number of other women went to cast their votes. The poll watcher asked them if they had the right to vote, leading to him asking them to take an oath stating that they had the right, which they did. The issue here was that while they could not legally vote, the poll watcher could not deny them the ballot if they took the oath; to make it easier, they let the women vote. However, on November 14th, warrants had been issued for their arrests. Interestingly, when a deputy U.S. Marshal arrived at her house, he did not immediately arrest her but simply requested that they spoke in the Commissioner's office. When it was revealed to her that they meant to arrest her, Anthony demanded that she be arrested in the same way men were, since such gentle treatment would not have been granted to men. She even held out her hands, expecting to be handcuffed, but the officer thought it unnecessary. The other women who voted with Anthony were also arrested, along with the election inspectors who allowed them to vote. When bail was set at $500, everyone except Anthony posted bail, and subsequently, the Commissioner authorised the U.S. Marshal to place Anthony in the county hail - something that never ended up happening.
These arrests sparked conversations all over the country. Before the trial, Anthony was able to give speeches in 29 towns and villages in the county where her trial would be held. She cited the Fourteenth (14th) Amendment, which granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," including former slaves, as her justification to vote. She argued that if the 14th Amendment could not be used as legal justification for her ability to vote, the nature of personhood for women was thus challenged: "Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any new law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities." In one particular speech, she pointed out that New York's tax laws were gendered, referring to "he" or "him," yet taxes were still collected from women at this time. She concluded, "I insist if government officials may thus manipulate the pronouns to tax, fine, imprison and hang women, women may take the same liberty with them to secure themselves their right to a voice in the government." When the trial finally occurred, it was decided that Anthony would have to pay a fine of $100 (the equivalent of over $2000 today), which she refused and never paid. A deputy federal marshal attempted to collect the fine in the form of seizing any property she owned, but they could not find anything of worth. The court eventually dropped the matter. In the matter of the election inspectors, the women who voted with Anthony believed that the inspectors should not have been arrested or jailed, and thus visited them and bringing food for them.
The entire case brought the women's suffrage issue to the forefront of national news. A number of further trials took place later on, but ultimately, sympathy for the suffrage moment was on the rise. The speeches Anthony made sparked doubt in the minds of those who believed only men ought to be able to vote, as well as hope for women that they could one day achieve an equal ability to vote. Unfortunately, Anthony would die 14 years before an amendment would be passed and ratified that would prohibit states and the federal government from denying any citizen of the United States from voting on the basis of sex. Nonetheless, the efforts of Anthony and her colleagues within the women's suffrage movement laid the foundation for the rights we now have today.
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