This day in history marks the birth of Susan Brownell Anthony in the quaint town of Adams, Massachusetts. She was born on February 15, 1820, and raised in a Quaker household throughout her childhood. Anthony grew up with the principle that all individuals are created equal, a belief that would guide her throughout her life as a pioneering social reformer.  She became a trailblazer in the fight for equality, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire movements for social change hundreds of years later. 

Early Life and Influences

Susan was the second-oldest of seven children born to Daniel and Lucy Read Anthony. Her father, a Quaker and a cotton mill owner, greatly emphasized education and justice, values that profoundly shaped Susan’s worldview. Unlike most girls, she received a formal education, first at a local district school and later at a boarding school in Philadelphia.

Her childhood experiences gave her an early awareness of inequality. Her teacher refused to teach her how to do long division because she was a girl. Susan’s father, recognizing the injustice, removed her from the classroom and taught her himself. This formative experience instilled in her a strong sense of justice and planted the seeds of her fight against gender discrimination.

As a teenager, Susan’s commitment to social justice was already evident. Exposed to the anti-slavery movement through her father’s activism, she began circulating anti-slavery petitions at the age of 17, demonstrating her early dedication to the cause.

Path to Activism

While she was fired up for many reasons, she began her career as an educator in 1839, a profession that deepened her understanding of inequality. Despite performing the same duties, female teachers were paid far less than their male counterparts. This wage gap fueled her growing passion for gender equality.

By 1851, Susan had met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a meeting that would change the course of her life and the women’s suffrage movement. Their partnership, marked by numerous campaigns, speeches, and petitions, was a powerful force for change. In 1869, they co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, a testament to the impact of their collaboration. 

Achievements and Legacy

Susan B. Anthony dedicated many years to fighting for women’s voting rights. She traveled extensively, speaking to audiences across the United States and rallying support for suffrage. In 1872, she was famously arrested for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election, an act of defiance that drew national attention to her cause and inspired many others to join the suffrage movement.

Though Anthony did not live to see the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, allowing women the right to vote, her tireless efforts paved the way for this landmark achievement. In her honor, the amendment is often called the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment.”