Reformer of the Progressive Era
Susan B. Anthony
“The Original Suffragist”
1820-1906
“Men their rights, and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less.”
~ Susan B. Anthony
Biography
A Leader for Votes for Women
Early life
started as a teacher
became involved in the temperance and abolitionist movements
stood up for women's issues ("Timeline.").
Life as a suffragist
Anthony and her friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) in 1869.
Anthony tried to vote in the 1872 presidential election and was arrested
Refused to pay her fine to bring attention to the cause. ("Timeline.").
The Merge and Leadership
In 1890 the NWSA merged with another group to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Anthony led as president from 1892 to 1900 (Susan B. Anthony: Women's Suffrage Leader ).
Areas of Reform
Equality...Abolition...Temperance
AND SUFFRAGE!
Susan B. Anthony was a pioneer, crusader, and organizer for women’s right to vote in the United States. As a leader in the first women's' suffragist organization, NWSA, Anthony not only worked for the right to vote, but also for economic, political, and social equality. Susan B. Anthony, like many women reformers, was also active in the abolitionist and temperance movements (Anthony, Susan B).
Achievements
A Hero and a Trailblazer
Through her speeches and her participation in protests, Anthony became one of the most visible leaders in the suffrage movement.
Efforts lead to the ratification Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, giving women the right to vote.
In 1979, Anthony became the first woman to have her likeness on a circulating U.S. coin. ("Susan B. Anthony.").
Reformer of the Modern Era
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“The Notorious RBG”
August 10, 1993 – September 18, 2020
"When I'm sometimes asked 'When will there be enough (women on the Supreme Court)?' and my answer is: 'When there are nine". People are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that."
~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Croft).
Biography
A Trailblazing Supreme Court Justice
Early Life
B.A. from Cornell; Columbia Law School graduate
Law Clerk for superior courts ("Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1993-2020." ).
Teaching and Justice Work
Faculty at Rutgers and Columbia Law Schools
Litigated sex discrimination cases
Justice Appointments
President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals
President Bill Clinton appointed her to the Supreme Court where she served for the next twenty-seven years
Second female justice to be appointed to the Supreme Court in U.S. History ("Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1993-2020.").
Areas of Reform
Civil Rights...Women's Rights...
And the Supreme Court!
Before becoming a judge, Ginsburg litigated over 300 gender discrimination cases and cofounded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project. As a judge, she continued to build on that legacy. For example, in 1996 she wrote the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that a state supported military institute could not refuse to admit women.
During the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, Ginsburg objected to the court’s decision favoring Bush (From 2016: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks).
Newspaper Article
Why Ruth Bader Ginsberg Wasn't all that Fond of Roe vs. Wade
The article discusses Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's views on Roe v. Wade, revealing her criticism of the broad scope of the decision. Ginsburg believed the decision's focus on a woman's privacy, instead of autonomous rights was misguided. RBG advocated for framing abortion rights under the equal protection clause for greater stability. The article suggests emulating RBG's style of focusing on the bigger picture and progressing step by step in light of her recent passing (Haridasani).
“She would say, ‘You just have to move forward and get to work.’”
— Mary Hartnett, a law professor at Georgetown University and co-author of Justice Ginsburg’s biography
Achievements
A Small Person with a Huge Voice
Received the 1999 America Bar Association Thurgood Martial Award for her contributions to gender equality and civil rights.
Fought for equal pay for women in the workplace
Essential influence for the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision
Did not resign when asked by Obama in 2018 ("Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1993-2020." ).
Comparison to Susan B. Anthony
Both of these powerful women in U.S. history fought hard for the rights of women and of all Americans. As a result, they made personal and professional sacrifices, from jail time to facing blatant and fierce discrimination in their professional lives.
Anthony and Ginsberg stood up to established and male led instituitons, from the Supreme Court to the Constitution. Their efforts made specific and necessary changes to insure the equality of women - from the right to vote to the right to privacy, Anthony and Ginsberg helped to secure an equal place for women in United States society.
Because of the efforts of Anthony, Ginsberg was born with the right to vote. Continuing in Anthony's tradition, Ginsberg continued to champion women's causes and is a modern day women's rights icon (Ryan).
RIP, RBG September 2020.
Works Cited
Anthony, Susan B.. Image. Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2020. school.eb.com/levels/high/assembly/view/217331. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
Croft, Jay. "10 Quotes That Help Define the 'Notorious RBG' Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg." CNN Politics, Cable News Network, 20 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/19/politics/best-ruth-bader-ginsburg-quotes-trnd/index.html. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
From 2016: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks. CBS, 2016. CBS Sunday Morning, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUlhXbRgBG4. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
Haridasani Gupta, Alisha. "Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg Wasn’t All That Fond of Roe v. Wade." The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/us/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-v-wade.html.
"Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1993-2020." Timeline of the Justices, Supreme Court Historical Society, www.supremecourthistory.org/history-of-the-court/the-current-court/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
Ryan, Patrick. "'RBG': How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Became a Legit Pop-Culture Icon." USA Today, 1 May 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/05/01/ rbg-documentary-shows-how-ruth-bader-ginsburg-became-pop-icon/562930002/. Accessed 14 Jan. 2021.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg." American History, ABC-CLIO, 2020, americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/272597. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg." History, A Maven Channel, 21 Sept. 2020, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/ruth-bader-ginsburg#section_2. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
"Susan B. Anthony." National Women's Hall of Fame, 2020, www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/susan-b-anthony/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
Susan B. Anthony: Women's Suffrage Leader and Activist. Biography, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF1cF64iklA. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.
"Timeline." Susan B. Anthony Papers, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collections/susan-b-anthony-papers/articles-and-essays/timeline/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.