8th - Susan B. Antony

Earlier today we talked about how great speeches are formed, and how they should be analyzed. One of the speeches we will be reading and analyzing tomorrow is Susan B. Anthony's infamous speech, "On Women's Right to Vote," which was written shortly after she was arrested, tried, and fined for voting in the 1872 Presidential Election.

Although voting was against the law, Susan stirred the pot by pointing out that the recently adopted 14th amendment gave everyone the right to vote:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

The privileges of citizenship contained no gender qualification and so, by Susan's standards, gave women the constitutional right to vote in federal elections. She was still tried by Supreme Court Associate Justice Ward Hunt, who refused to allow her to even testify on her own behalf. He also ordered the jury to return a guilty verdict and basically made her guilty before she was even on trial. She wasn't sent to prison, but she was ordered to pay a $100 fine, which she never paid. :)

Before we read her speech, click on the video below and enjoy.