ReadWriteThink: November 5, 2009: Susan B. Anthony voted on this date in 1872, leading to her arrest.

November 5, 2009

		On November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony cast a ballot in the presidential election, though women at the time were prohibited from doing so. Two weeks later, she was arrested, and the following year, she was found guilty of illegal voting. It would take another 50 years until the Nineteenth Amendment, passed in 1920, would grant women nationwide the right to vote. image © 2009 www.clipart.com

Susan B. Anthony voted on this date in 1872, leading to her arrest.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

Two of the most important lessons that we can draw from Susan B. Anthony’s experiences are to understand the effects of prejudice and to appreciate the courage of acting on one’s convictions.

So, on this day, grant special privileges to an arbitrarily designated group in your classroom: people wearing, say, the color red, or blondes, or people whose names start with S. These privileges could include a treat, a special hall pass, etc. You should not let anyone in on why you have singled this group out. Let the privileges—and the complaining about them—continue for a while. Then, ask students to write about how they felt during the simulation. Ask them to focus on the fairness of your actions in singling out this group for special treatment.

The next step is to ask students to consider exactly what they might be willing to do to change an unjust law. Remind them that Anthony and other women’s rights activists went to jail to protest an injustice. Have students write about what they might feel strongly enough about to protest and what actions are justified in order to change that injustice.

Lesson Plans

Voting! What’s It All About?
In this cross-curricular unit, students in grades 3–5 explore a wide variety of voting-related resources to learn about the history of voting, voting as a civil right, and current elections.

Vote for Me! Developing, Writing, and Evaluating Persuasive Speeches
Using the relevant example of political campaigning, this lesson teaches students in grades 3–5 the characteristics of effective persuasive speech writing and oral argument.

From Friedan Forward—Considering a Feminist Perspective
In this lesson, students in grades 9–12 write letters expressing their views on an important and potentially controversial topic, in this case—feminism. Sealed in a stamped envelope, each letter is mailed to its writer by the teacher six years later.

That’s Not Fair! Examining Civil Liberties with the U.S. Supreme Court
In this ReadWriteThink lesson, high school students work collectively in groups to examine state and federal court cases that pertain to civil liberties.

Web Links

United States v. Susan B. Anthony
This article, part of the free resources on the Thomson Gale Publishers site, describes Anthony’s trial. Interestingly, she was not allowed to testify in her own defense because of her gender, and the judge entered the guilty verdict without allowing the jury to deliberate.

The Extra Mile
This site honors Americans who have “gone the extra mile” by volunteering their time and effort to the cause of improving the lives of others. This site tries to pass on the spirit of volunteerism and commitment.

One Hundred Years toward Suffrage: An Overview
The American Memory Project includes this timeline of important events in the history of the women’s suffrage movement.

Not For Ourselves Alone
This online companion to the Ken Burns documentary of the same name uses text, audio, and images to explore the women’s suffrage movement, focusing on Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Texts

Burns, Ken (Director). 1998. Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony. Warner Home Video.
This Ken Burns documentary on the women’s suffrage movement is highly worthwhile for all ages.

Hopkinson, Deborah. 2005. Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for Women’s Rights. Aladdin.
This biography for early readers follows Anthony’s advocacy for equality, beginning in her childhood when her father refused a promotion to a well-qualified woman, through her work for women’s suffrage.

Sherr, Lynn. 1995. Failure Is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words. Times Books.
This is a collection of excerpts from Anthony’s writings and letters, suitable for advanced readers.

Slade, Suzanne. 2007. Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for Freedom and Equality. Picture Window Books.
This picture books tells how Anthony fought for equal rights.