19th Century advocate for the cause of women’s suffrage, Susan B. Anthony, delivered a speech in 1873 following her conviction for the crime of voting. Anthony’s purpose is to argue that the treatment of women during the 19th Century was unjust and unconstitutional. She adopts a respectful and candid tone in order to address the sexism and prejudicial views of society. Anthony uses rhetorical devices in her speech in order to appeal to her audience’s sense of unity and human compassion.
Anthony opens her speech addressing the idea that by committing the “crime” of voting, she is simply just exercising her rights as a U.S. citizen. She utilizes allusion to the U.S. Constitution to appeal to her audience’s sense of ethics. By referencing a …show more content…
By then comparing the issue of women’s suffrage to the unfairness African-Americans received before the newly pasted 15th Amendment, Anthony exposes the sexism and intolerance of society. The idea Anthony emphasized was the concept that human beings once considered to be slaves and have no human rights, are now given the right to vote when women are not. This exposes a major flaw in the morals of 19th Century society and appeals to the audience’s sense of logic and ethics.
Anthony begins to close her speech by alluding to multiple well known writers of dictionaries, such as Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier. She states that by definition, “a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office”(52-53). Anthony then asks her audience a rhetorical question, “Are women persons?”(54-55), appealing to the public’s sense of emotion and further exposing the flaws in a sexist society. Anthony ends her speech by implying that to deny any female U.S. citizen the right to vote is as unconstitutional as the denying of African-American’s to vote before the passing of the 15th
Anthony opens her speech addressing the idea that by committing the “crime” of voting, she is simply just exercising her rights as a U.S. citizen. She utilizes allusion to the U.S. Constitution to appeal to her audience’s sense of ethics. By referencing a …show more content…
By then comparing the issue of women’s suffrage to the unfairness African-Americans received before the newly pasted 15th Amendment, Anthony exposes the sexism and intolerance of society. The idea Anthony emphasized was the concept that human beings once considered to be slaves and have no human rights, are now given the right to vote when women are not. This exposes a major flaw in the morals of 19th Century society and appeals to the audience’s sense of logic and ethics.
Anthony begins to close her speech by alluding to multiple well known writers of dictionaries, such as Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier. She states that by definition, “a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office”(52-53). Anthony then asks her audience a rhetorical question, “Are women persons?”(54-55), appealing to the public’s sense of emotion and further exposing the flaws in a sexist society. Anthony ends her speech by implying that to deny any female U.S. citizen the right to vote is as unconstitutional as the denying of African-American’s to vote before the passing of the 15th