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Susan B Anthony Essay

671 Words3 Pages

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God” - Susan B. Anthony. In 1917, women fought heavily for the right to vote. Women, such as Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Burns, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone fought hard with dedication to voting. They wanted to create social change for the betterment of the people. To create social change, three key components are needed. These are publicity, civil disobedience, and solidarity. To begin, publicity spreads information and raises awareness about the problem, which is critical to creating change. One example of publicity is when Alice Paul was in jail for protesting in front of the White House, she decided to go on hunger strike. She wanted to prove that she would keep fighting and do whatever …show more content…

This incident raised awareness of the harsh realities suffragists faced in their fight for the exact purpose of women’s rights. It increased the support and sympathy for the suffrage movement and pressured the government to take action. Furthermore, another example of publicity is when Elizabeth Cady Stanton. These facts work together to build the case that publicity spreads information and raises awareness about a problem. The particular reason for this circumstance is that through strategic publicity, suffragists could highlight the injustice women faced, gain public sympathy, and demand equal rights. Their efforts brought the issue of women’s suffrage to the attention and focus of the public, which led to success. Moreover, civil disobedience was a powerful tool used by suffragists to rebel against unjust laws and demand change. One instance of civil disobedience is when Susan B. Anthony led a dozen women, including her mother and sisters in Rochester to vote in the 1872 presidential election even though women were not legally allowed to vote then. This act of civil disobedience resulted in a U.S. Marshal arriving at her house a short while later and arresting …show more content…

An additional example is when the women went to picket outside the White House even when the war had begun. They wrote the words Woodrow Wilson stated on their banners and signs to show how they were omitted. One was “We shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts, for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their government.” Many people had mixed reactions and responses. Some individuals, especially men, criticized the suffragists for their continued protest during wartime. They argued that the focus should be on supporting the war and helping the soldiers, rather than following women’s suffrage. On the other hand, others admired and supported the suffragists’ commitment to their cause. They saw their unending picketing as a proclamation of dedication and determination. The government authorities responded to the suffrage movement by increasing their efforts to suppress it. Many suffragists were arrested and were forced to endure harsh treatment in

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