III.

Fight for Women's Rights

Anthony's work for women's rights began in 1851, when she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton. From 1854 to 1860 the two concentrated on reforming New York State laws discriminating against women. Anthony organized women all over the state to campaign for legal reforms. She would often deliver speeches written by Stanton, who was occupied with her young children.

Anthony and Stanton became convinced that women would not gain their rights or be effective in promoting reforms until they had the vote, and nationwide suffrage became their goal after the Civil War. In 1869 they organized the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for a constitutional amendment giving women that right. Although the newly freed slaves were granted the vote by the 15th Amendment, women of all races continued to be excluded. From 1868 to 1870 Anthony and Stanton published a newspaper, Revolution, focused on injustices suffered by women. To dramatize her fight, Anthony defiantly registered and cast a ballot in the 1872 presidential election and, when arrested and convicted, refused to pay the $100 fine. She went to Europe in 1883, met women's rights activists there, and in 1888 helped form the International Council of Women, representing 48 countries. At the age of 80 she resigned as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, but she continued to be a regular speaker at its conventions until her death in Rochester, New York, on March 13, 1906.