Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthonygettyimages.comIn 1872, a group of sixteen women cast a ballot in the presidential election. They were all arrested, but became some of the first women to ever attempt to vote in the United States. During the 1800’s, America expected women to remain silent and serve as housewives. However, some brave women desired the right to vote like men. Forty-eight years later, the Nineteenth Amendment enabled all women in the United States to legally vote. This dramatic and memorable change in history required numerous women to fight for their voting rights for decades. Because women’s suffragists were brave enough to speak out and determined to achieve their goals, they are heroes to modern day women. These heroes went beyond the norms, in times of sorrow and joy, to accomplish extraordinary things to benefit society. A hero, like a women's suffragist, is generally known to accomplish feats as stupendous as defending one’s country in war. However, heroism can be as minimal as buying a meal for a homeless man or fulfilling the dreams of at least one person. All heroic acts require courage and determination. Courage is one’s ability to subside their fears to achieve their goals and determination is one’s willingness to overcome obstacles to accomplish their ambitions. The women’s suffragists embodied both those admirable values. These traits are essential to earn the title of a hero. Additionally, one must achieve things beyond society’s dreams and standards. A hero needs to have courage to exceed limits and determination to fight until they are rewarded with success.

Anthony arrested for votingfggam.orgOne of the women who cast a ballot in 1872 and stood up for women’s rights was Susan B. Anthony. Also known as the “Napoleon of Feminism,” Anthony serves as a hero to numerous women today. Anthony was born in 1820 and grew up in Massachusetts. She was raised as a Quaker, a religion of conservative people who believed in equality for both men and women. Anthony’s father taught her to be self-sufficient and unlike most women at the time, she became a teacher and never married. Anthony became aware of gender inequality after attending a women’s rights convention and dedicated her life to achieving women’s suffrage, or women’s voting rights. Her dedication resulted in multiple successes in favor of women. Anthony rallied for her rights until her death, earning her the title of the most famous women’s suffragist of all time. Her steadfast attitude makes Anthony worthy of a title greater than the most famous suffragist, but worthy of the title “hero” because she embodies courage and determination. Susan B. Anthony is not only a famous women’s suffragist, but is also courageous when defying the limits society places on women and is determined to overcome adversities to achieve her goals; therefore, Anthony serves as an inspiration to women to achieve their full potential.

Anthony showcased her courage by enforcing gender equality, although America held a contradicting belief. In one of her speeches at a women’s rights convention, Anthony put forth the words she lived by to her audience: “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences” (Qtd. by Colman). Because they will be ridiculed, Anthony claimed it is essential to be courageous to reform society. The risk reformers took is evident with the drastic difference between the words “anything” and “nothing.” “Anything” suggests making an impact on society, while “nothing” refers to making no impact at all, which proves the unpredictability of being a reformer because their ideas will be accepted or disregarded. Anthony still attempted to reform society when proposing voting rights for both men and women. This shows her courageousness because she was willing to take the risks of wasting her life and damaging her status in order to establish equality. Anthony’s heroism was showcased through her audacity because, not only did she fight for what she believed in, but she also reformed society to benefit all American women. Furthermore, Anthony demonstrated her courageousness when defending gender equality in a time when women were considered inferior to men. Women were expected to play the role of housewives, while men had occupations and held all the rights. America’s contradicting belief in gender equality is evident in the press’ response to women’s suffragists: “No one was more cruelly attacked than Anthony. She and others like her who refused to be dependent on men and who committed themselves wholeheartedly to the cause were labeled as fanatically driven, unfulfilled, incomplete, sexually repressed, cold, hard, rigidly authoritarian” (Contemporary Heroes and Heroines: Susan B. Anthony). “Cruelly” implies the suffering inflicted upon Anthony and the pain alone would give any other person motivation to quit. However, she continued to defend women “wholeheartedly,” which indicates her ambition for women’s rights. Because she was able to overcome the press’ oppression to enforce a radical idea such as women’s suffrage in this time period, she displayed courage. Anthony’s courageousness sets her apart from other women because she defied the existing standards by speaking out for women’s suffrage. Her outspoken manner makes Anthony a hero to women since she fought for their rights. Because of Anthony’s ability to subside her fears and speak out in favor of women’s suffrage, she demonstrated her immense courage.

Women's Rights Conventionyourvoteyourvoicemn.orgDespite her seemingly impossible mission, Anthony remained determined to achieve the right to vote for all women and her perseverance was awarded with a heroic legacy, and rights for women. Newspapers, especially those written by males, opposed the progression of women’s rights. However, after hearing Anthony give a speech in favor of women’s rights, a male newspaper reporter wrote: “She was the most earnest worker of them all… their leader… counsellor and friend… [who was] not to be daunted by any obstacle” (Qtd. by Colman). The reporter wrote that Anthony “was not to be daunted by any obstacle,” which illustrates her determination to succeed, despite anything that attempted to stop her. The phrase “she was the most earnest worker of them all” implies that Anthony was the most diligent suffragist because being earnest implies that she is passionate and dedicated to her cause. She continued to fight for women’s suffrage even though it seemed impossible during her time period due to America’s preconceived mindsets. This validates her perseverance, making her determined to achieve her goals. Additionally, Anthony’s tireless determination led to numerous successes in her lifetime: “Anthony was gratified by the number of dramatic changes that had taken place as a result of her unwavering commitment to women's rights. For example, she could point with pride to the fact that almost all professional and vocational fields were open to women; that women were no longer compelled to marry for financial support; that most of the institutions of higher learning opened their doors to female students” (Contemporary Heroes and Heroines: Susan B. Anthony). Using “dramatic” to describe the changes Anthony made to society demonstrates that her determination paid off because women’s status in society improved. Writing “unwavering commitment” is an example that describes Anthony’s determination because she did not allow anything to hinder her campaign for women’s suffrage. Anthony’s determination also allowed her to achieve an incredible accomplishment by completely altering the way society functioned. Society dragged Anthony down, but her determination allowed her to disregard hateful remarks and earn rights for women. Therefore, Anthony possessed determination and the ability to overcome obstacles because women were unable to receive an education and have a vocation before. Anthony proved her determination by constantly defending women’s rights and overcoming obstacles to reform society for the better; thus, rewarding her with a heroic status due to her positive impact on society.

Women today acknowledge there ability to vote is because of AnthonyDemocratandchronicle.comAnthony left behind more than opportunities for women, but also a heroic legacy because of her courage and determination to achieve her goals. Her courage was demonstrated through her persistence to achieve women’s rights, even though society held a contradicting view. Anthony also displayed her determination by constantly striving to achieve women’s suffrage, despite numerous obstacles. These traits allow her to serve as an inspiration because, without them, Anthony never would have accomplished property rights for women, education for both genders, or have paved the path towards women’s suffrage. These key traits also set her apart, making her a hero to all women. She pushed others to improve themselves and society with her words: “Think your best thoughts, speak your best words, work your best works, looking to your own conscience for approval” (Qtd. by Medrut). Through her repetition of “best,” Anthony inspires others to become the best person they can be and work until their dreams become a reality. She inspires me to voice my opinion, and knowing that she was able to accomplish numerous goals empowers me to overcome adversities in my own life to reach success. The impact she made throughout America is evident every time a woman casts a ballot or holds a diploma. Therefore, with a dream, courage, and commitment, we can become a hero and reform society for the better.