This series has been dedicated to profiling individual Americans that have most effectively shaped American society according to the values and principles enshrined in its heritage. Thus far, the following champions have been studied:
Bob Hope(#25)
Robert E. Lee(#24)
Walt Disney(#23)
Billy Graham(#22)
Rosa Parks(#21)
Mark Twain(#20)
Dorothea Dix(#19)
John Quincy Adams(#18)
Eleanor Roosevelt(#17)
Helen Keller(#16)
William Jennings Bryan(#15)
George C. Marshall(#14)
Samuel Adams(#13)
Franklin D. Roosevelt(#12)
Ronald W. Reagan(#11)
Now, the list continues:
Number Ten: Susan B. Anthony
One of the most dynamic leaders in American history never witnessed the full outcome of all that she labored and worked toward for so many years. This is a personal tragedy; but fortunately, the United States itself did realize Susan B. Anthony's dream of female equality at the voting booth, even if she herself did not live to personally see it.
Born into a family that emphasized adherence to principle and civic responsibility, Susan B. Anthony embraced social reform causes at an early age.
Her first "cause" was at her first full-time job with the New York school system, where she complained about the lack of pay equity with her male counterparts. She also began visiting black American families in their homes, and this was apparently too much for school officials. She was forced to depart. She eventually secured an excellent position at a girls' school in Rochester, New York, and became an accomplished educator. But the pull of broader social causes was too compelling, and she became a fervent champion of the temperance movement.
Most Americans regard the experiment with Prohibition to be a failure, and neglect to recognize that it came about in large part due to the women's movement. In fact, Prohibition is one of the key issues that drove women to demand equality at the ballot box. According to The Gale Group's Biography Resource Center, "Banning the consumption of alcohol was thought to be the only strategy for ending the abuse women and children suffered at the hands of husbands and fathers who drank too much." It was through the temperance movement that Anthony met Elizabeth Cady Stanton and forged a friendship that would reshape American history.
After meeting Stanton, Anthony aligned herself zealously with the women's suffrage movement. Within that context, she campaigned against prostitution and the exploitation of female workers. She also promoted civil rights for black Americans.
 |
 |
