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Summary Of Fundamental Principle Of A Republic By Anna Howard Shaw

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In the text sample of Anna Howard Shaw’s speech about women's suffrage, “The Fundamental Principle of a Republic” she highlights the importance of equality within a republic. Anna believes that if there is no equality amongst a republic, how can it be called a republic? Anna states,”Whenever the government says that a citizen, in order to vote, must be a resident of a community a certain length of time, and of the state a certain length of time and of the nation a certain length of time, that applies to all equally. There is no discrimination”(Lines 47-50). If there are rules established by a republic that are meant for all people, why can only a majority of the population vote? She additionally acknowledges that men and women can be very ignorant …show more content…

Anna attempts to understand how ignorant women prevent women from voting, yet ignorant men don’t prevent men from voting. If the rules of a republic are to be applied to all, why not this one? Anna uses irony to further prove her point that women should have the freedom to vote. In the second paragraph of the speech she states,”If a woman’s suffrage1 is wrong, it is a great wrong; if it is right, it is a profound and fundamental principle, and we all know, if we know what a Republic is, that it is the fundamental principle upon which a Republic must rise. Let us see where we are as a people; how we act here and what we think we are”(Lines 14-17). It is ironic how we called ourselves a republic at the time when we restricted most of our population from voting, knowing that a republic is a primary power that is sustained by the people and the electors that they voted for. Anna used this irony to construct her claim about women's

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In addition she points out that half of the country has already granted suffrage to women. Lastly, she feels women have the right because of “American principles” (Chapman, 1917). American is known as a political leader to other countries, yet they have yet to give women rights. Even though she is a woman, she does a great job of articulating the facts.

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Second, the constitution also guarantees women’s right. Taking away the right to vote was taking away a part of the freedom for which the nation once fought and the constitution was signed. She states that the right to vote was guaranteed to her and “all United

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“The Fundamental Principle of a Republic” is a speech about women’s suffrage spoken by Anna Howard Shaw. This specific speech was given at the New York State equal suffrage campaign at the City Opera House in Ogdensburg, New York on June 21, 1915. Anna Howard Shaw was a well-known suffrage orator and social reformer. In addition to talking about women’s suffrage, this speech mentions how we, as a country, say we are a Republic but we really aren’t.

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A Suffragette, Carrie Chapman Catt, wrote a speech called “Address to Congress on Women’s Suffrage” which argues for women's right to vote. Catt supports their thesis through explanation of America’s History, explanation of the inevitability of women’s suffrage, and stating how America has already supported women’s suffrage in some states. The author speaks in order to pursue her purpose of allowing women the right to vote. The author speaks to an audience of fellow women, those who believe in the suffrage of women, because she sympathizes with them. Catt applies logos to aid in persuading the audience as to why women deserve the right to vote.

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Anna Howard Shaw uses a serious and persuasive tone in her speech to present her central idea that all citizens; men and women alike, should have the right to vote. Shaw believes that it is not fair to say that New York is a republic and not follow through with it completely. In the text Shaw says, “Now one of two things is true: either a Republic is a desirable form of government, or else it is not. If it is, then we should have it, if it is not then we ought not to pretend that we have it.” This statements shows that Shaw I very serious about the rights that a republican should have.

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Amiah Terrell Walls 3 Gifted World Literature 13 March, 2016 Inconsistency in Strongly Held Beliefs Four years after Anna Howard Shaw gave her famous speech, "The Fundamental Principle of a Republic", women gained the right to vote everywhere in the United States. Suffragists, women’s rights activists in the early 20th century, worked to gain this fundamental right for years through speeches, protests, an events, but any bill that would bring progress to their movement had been shot down by the supreme court or other U.S government branches every time. Individual states granted some voting rights to women, but they would have only been able to vote in state elections previous to 1919. Anna Shaw was on the cutting edge of the suffragist’s

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How they couldn’t vote and how they didn’t have the rights that white men had. But throughout the whole speech, she is trying to convince people to start a big ordeal on how white men are not the only ones able to vote. In conclusion, the author is speaking to her fellow women and the to the wrong white men of the United States. Her purpose of making this speech is that woman have just as much right to vote as white men do.

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In her speech she continues to say, “And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republic government -- the ballot.” (Anthony,1)

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