Sepia Saturday: Happy Birthday
Perhaps I should say
"Happy Belated Birthday"
because the anniversary of
Susan B. Anthony's birth was yesterday.
She was born February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts
to Daniel and Lucy Read Anthony,
both of whom were Quakers with an activist bent.
Though many girls were poorly educated in that era,
Daniel Anthony was an ardent supporter of quality education
for both boys and girls, so the four girls in the family
were as well-educated as their brothers.
As an adult, Susan Brownell Anthony
dedicated her life to the woman suffrage issue.
Though she died on March 13, 1906 without having secured
the passage of a constitutional amendment
securing voting rights for women,
others carried on the quest.
The 19th amendment was passed in 1920.
Does it amaze you that women have had voting rights
for less than 100 years in the United States?
That women were considered
less than
too emotional to make rational decisions
too delicate in constitution to practice law
Oh me, oh my!
Susan B. Anthony was far too smart
to believe that nonsense
and worked tireless to promote women's equality.
Are we there yet?
No. . .
but as she is quoted as saying:
So kudos, kiddo.
You're one of my heroines.
All photos from the Library of Congress Photo Collection.
Comments
With the blessing of hindsight it is apparent that neither men nor women in power make rational decisions. They're normally immorally expedient, self-seeking and of the knee-jerk kind.