In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen's rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any state to deny.
The preamble of the Federal Constitution says:
"We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
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. (...), but to the whole people - women as well as men. And (...) to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government - the ballot.
To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the rich govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters,(...)
The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no state has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several states is today null and void, precisely as is every one against Negroes.
Susan B. Anthony – 1873
VOCABULARY
Cast / Emitir / Fine / Multar
Stand / Presentarse / Indicment / Acusación
Allege / Presunto / Lawful / Legal
Commit / Cometer / Preamble / Preámbulo
Welfare / Bienestar, prosperidad / Bless / Bendecir
Enjoyment / Disfrute / Ballot / Votación, papeleta
Hateful / Odioso / Oligarchy / Oligarquía
Hardly / Apenas, dificilmente / Hardihood / Osadia, atrevimiento
Null / Nulo, inválido / Void / Vacío
Because women already have the municipal vote, and are eligible for membership of most local authorities. These bodies deal with questions of housing, education, care of children, workhouses and so forth, all of which are peculiarly within a woman's sphere. Parliament, however, has to deal mainly with the administration of a vast Empire, the maintenance of the Army and Navy, and with questions of peace and war, which lie outside the legitimate sphere of woman's influence.
Because all government rests ultimately on force, to which women, owing to physical, moral and social reasons, are not capable of contributing.
Because women are not capable of full citizenship, for the simple reason that they are not available for purposes of national and Imperial defence. All government rests ultimately on force, to which women, owing to physical, moral and social reasons, are not capable of contributing.
Because there is little doubt that the vast majority of women have no desire for the vote.
Because the acquirement of the Parliamentary vote would logically involve admission to Parliament itself, and to all Government offices. It is scarcely possible to imagine a woman being Minister for War, and yet the principles of the Suffragettes involve that and many similar absurdities.
Becausethe United Kingdom is not an isolated state, but the administrative and governing centre of a system of colonies and also of dependencies. The effect of introducing a large female element into the Imperial electorate would undoubtedly be to weaken the centre of power in the eyes of these dependent millions.
Because past legislation in Parliament shows that the interests of women are perfectly safe in the hands of men. (...)
Grace Saxon Mills, writing in the years before 1914
VOCABULARY
Membership / Pertenencia / Scarcely / Apenas
Weak / Debilitar
The Anti-Women’s Suffrage League
Serious concern about the impact of women getting the vote was quite widespread throughout the duration of the campaign. (...) On the one hand women were considered too precious and innocent to become embroiled in public life, on the other they were thought too irrational and emotional to make an intelligent contribution. Whatever their abilities, their place was thought to be in the home.
As women they were also considered to be naturally conservative. The Liberal Party and later on the Labour Party feared the backlash of women’s votes which they expected to be conservative. It was these concerns that had kept women out of public life for such a line time. Those campaigning for women’s suffrage were not helped by the fact that opposition to their cause included many women. In 1908 general concerns took on an organised form and a small group of well known women formed the Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League.
VOCABULARY:
Concern / Preocupación / Widespread / extendido
Embroiled / Envuelto, enredado / Backlash / reacción
Arguments against women having the vote..
At first, the idea that women should have the vote was seen as so ridiculous that no one attempted to oppose it. When the suffragettes began to win support, those opposing them had to take them more seriously
These are the arguments they came up with. Some of them might seem silly to you, but they made a lot of sense to people at the time:
- “Women and men have ‘separate spheres’.”
- “Most women do not want the vote.”
- “Women’s role is in local affairs.”
- “Women are already represented by their husbands.”
- “It is dangerous to change a system that works.”
- “Women do not fight to defend their country.”
VOCABULARY
Suffragettes / Sufragistas / Affairs / asuntos