Topic – Susan B. Anthony and Civil Rights

Susan B. Anthony and Civil Rights

What Are Civil Rights?

Civil rights are the rights people have under the laws of the country they live in. In Canada, civil rights are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In the United States, civil rights are protected by The Constitution. Every citizen in Canada or the United States has the same or equal rights. Some of these rights are the right to free speech, the right to a fair trial, and the right to vote in elections.

Susan B. Anthony and Her Fight for Equal Rights

Susan B. Anthony was born in Massachusetts in 1820. Her family believed in education, so she was sent to school. She was very intelligent. She could read and write by the time she was three.

Anthony’s family also believed that men and women were equal partners. At that time, women in the United States did not have equal rights with men. In most states, married women could not own property. They could not keep the money they earned if they worked. Women were paid much less than men for the same work. They were not allowed to vote in elections.

Susan B. Anthony was a very dedicated woman. She fought for equal rights for everyone for most of her life. She is best known for her fight to get women the vote. She knew that the best way to get equal rights for women was to get them the vote. Then they could vote for people that could help them the most, and they could run for office, too.

Anthony began by giving speeches at meetings. She helped run a newspaper about civil rights. She even voted in an election even though it was against the law. She was put on trial for doing that. The jury at the trial was all men. Anthony was not allowed to speak. She was fined $100, which she never paid.

Then in 1869, she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Women’s Suffrage Association. (Suffrage means the right to vote.) Anthony worked with the organization until she died in 1906. She did not live to see her dream come true. The Constitution was changed in 1920 to give everyone the right to vote. Then no one could be refused the right to vote because of their gender.

---

Now, show what you know!

Complete some questions about the reading selection by clicking “Begin Questions” below.