Suffragists Who Changed History
Sojourner Truth- A famous and popular public speaker of her day. She was a former slave who cared deeply about women's and African American rights. Her most famous speech was ‘Ain't I a Woman?’ given in 1851 at an Ohio convention.
Susan B. Anthony- A long with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Of the two, she was the public voice and often organized and traveled. In 1872 she tried to vote for a presidential election and was ‘found guilty’. She refused to pay and no one made her. Anthony was also the first female on U.S. currency. (The coin was later replaced by the Sacajawea dollar.)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton- In her partnership with Susan B. Anthony, she was considered the theorist and writer behind the conventions. When they founded the NWSA, she acted as president. Also, she worked to give woman equal guardianship of children, give property rights to married woman and insure divorce rights.
Carrie Catt- Carrie started off by being a lecturer in the woman's suffrage movement. Soon she was involved with the NWSA and was chosen to succeed Susan B. Anthony as president. (She didn't become president until after Anna Shaw.) After the 19th amendment she continued to empower women by organizing the League of Women Voters.
Lucretia Mott- With Elizabeth Stanton she co-wrote the “Declaration of Sentiments” which is deliberately similar to the Declaration of Independence. As a feminist and an abolitionist, she struggled between the split priorities of women's and African American rights; acting as president of the American Equal Rights Convention.
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