AP Language and Composition
Mr. Anderson
5/4/17
Susan B. Anthony and the Suffrage Movement
The Women’s Suffrage Movement was one of the most important in history, shaping American politics for decades to come. As one of the pioneering leaders of the movement, Susan B. Antony’s life was dedicated to improving “the political, economic, and human rights of women throughout the United States” (Gale). During the Civil War, women’s rights took a second place to abolition which most activists accepted and supported since many were passionate about both issues. However after the Civil War, suffragists were frustrated to find many of their previous supporters no longer thought that it was the time to fight for women’s rights (Gale). Seven …show more content…
After this, her main purpose is to explain why a women voting should not be a crime. She does this by quoting the Constitution - which helps establish her ethos - and uses the logic that women are American citizens and should therefore have the right to vote. This use of simple logic was extremely persuasive because “it was hard for the audience to ignore the facts and brush off Anthony’s logical arguments” (Kohan). Anthony’s use of logos is again evident when Anthony concludes her speech with the question “are women persons?” This implies that if so, women should clearly have the right to vote and no one could logically argue that they are …show more content…
As previously mentioned, Anthony begins her speech by explaining to her audience why she was arrested which gives her speech context. This also establishes that her speech is warranted because she is using personal experience as evidence that women were being treated unfairly, simply for trying to gain their constitutional right. Anthony then is able to prove why denying women the vote was unjust when she stated, “it was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves...but to the whole people” (Anthony). By organizing her argumrnt this way, she makes her line of reasoning clear, easy to follow, and difficult to argue