Susan B Anthony Women's Right To Vote Analysis

Women's rights advocate Susan B. Anthony in her speech “On Women’s Right to Vote” argues that the crime she was accused of is of false reason because being a woman does not mean she is not a citizen and citizens are allowed to vote therefore she did nothing illegal. She first supports her claim by referring to the preamble of the Federal Constitution, then she refers to the unconstitutionalism of taking away her rights making the government not a democracy but “a hateful oligarchy of sex” as she states in the third paragraph, and finally she references Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier and their definition of a citizen within the United States. Anthony’s purpose is to address her alleged crime and women's right to vote in order to fight for women’s rights as a citizen within the community. She uses an ethical approach and a determined, earnest tone to create a serious environment and to address the question “Are women persons?”, as she asks in the fourth paragraph. Susan B. Anthony stands before the crowd not as a mindless woman but as a well educated citizen in the community who is working towards a notable cause and …show more content…
Susan B. Anthony uses this as the final bases of her argument in order to draw in the opinions of those who have the credentials to make an observation of a situation. She uses their words in order to lead up to her concluding statement and question to ask her audience. “Are women persons?” She calls out the audience to dare them to say that women are not people and to make them understand her point. If women are people as stated by Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier as well as the U.S. constitution then they are citizens and citizens can vote due to their rights. Susan B. Anthony does not have much credibility according to the people that are accusing her of her crime because she is only a woman but she is also knowledgeable, and