February 15, 1820 – Birth of Social Reformer and Women’s Rights Activist Susan B. Anthony

Susan Brownell Anthony was born into a Quaker family committed to social equality on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. At age 17, she already was collecting anti-slavery petitions. In 1856, she became the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. Later, along with her lifelong friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she became a prominent activist for women’s rights as well.

In 1863, the two women founded the Women’s Loyal National League, and collected nearly 400,000 signatures in support of the abolition of slavery. In 1866, they started the American Equal Rights Association, which campaigned for equal rights for both women and African Americans. In 1868, they began publishing a women’s rights newspaper called The Revolution. In 1869, they founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, and in 1890, their organization merged with the rival American Woman Suffrage Association to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association, with Anthony serving as its president from 1892 to 1900.

Anthony traveled throughout the United States and Europe, and gave 75 to 100 speeches every year on women’s rights for 45 years. On March 8th, 1884, Susan B. Anthony addressed the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, arguing for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote. Anthony’s argument came sixteen years after legislators had first introduced a federal woman’s suffrage amendment. Unfortunately, a woman’s right to vote was not granted until 14 years after Anthony’s death in 1906.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (seated) with Susan B. Anthony

One way to find out what influenced the thinking of historically significant figures is to ascertain what they read, in addition to reading what they wrote. Both are possible with Susan B. Anthony. To see what Anthony read, you can check out her library at LibraryThing, where “legacy libraries” are catalogued. You can scroll through the library, see what books you have in common, and even get “reviews” by that person if they are available.

Susan B. Anthony’s library has a total of 295 items catalogued, including books, printed speeches, pamphlets, convention proceedings, serials, and scrapbooks. Most of them concern suffrage or women’s rights.

The data originated from the Susan B. Anthony Collection at the Library of Congress. LOC reports that “many of Anthony’s 272 books are inscribed to her by the author or donor and later by her to the Library of Congress. Her inscriptions highlight the importance of the book in her life and work.”

Thanks to the Library of Congress, you can also access the papers of Susan B. Anthony, with the bulk of the material dating from 1846 to 1906. The collection, consisting of approximately 500 items (6,265 images) on seven recently digitized microfilm reels, includes correspondence, diaries, a daybook, speeches, and miscellaneous items.

Of special note are six digitized scrapbooks in the collection that were put together by Anthony’s younger sister Mary, containing a valuable compilation of newspaper clippings, convention programs, and other contemporary accounts. The scrapbooks primarily document Susan’s and Mary’s activities on behalf of women’s suffrage, but also contain articles on women in higher education and professional employment, particularly in law, medicine, and journalism.

Susan B. Anthony (right) and her sister Mary (left), via Rochester Public Library