Did you know that Susan B Anthony was the first woman to have her face on a US dollar coin and that there is a Barbie doll dedicated to her memory?
Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts into a Quaker family. During that time black people were taken from the continent of Africa to be enslaved as servants and labourers in the USA and Western Europe. This was also a time when women were not allowed to vote, own property or participate in the public arena.
Susan grew up in a family that was passionate about social reform. Her sister became a school principal and a women’s rights activist.
Susan also felt herself being drawn to speak out and act against what she felt was wrong. She organized the women’s movement and rallied forces against many archaic laws. She was instrumental in the passage of the Married Women’s Property Bill in New York which stated that a woman had the right to hold property, carry on a trade, and collect and use her own earnings.
Susan started petitions to outlaw slavery and obtained 400,000 signatures towards this cause. In April 1864, the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery was passed by the Senate. This Amendment was followed by the 19th Amendment (in 1920) to the Constitution giving women the right to vote. This Amendment was known as the Susan B Anthony Amendment in honour of her work for women.
Picture Credit : Google
