Gender Inequality

    Gender inequality has been around so long it is rooted into our history. Women in the United States finally took a stand against it and started the first wave Women's Right Movement between the years of 1848 and 1920. There were many important factors in this movement and many people who were crucial to making a change. One of these individuals was Susan B. Anthony. Alongside Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anthony formed the National Women Suffrage Association in May of 1869, based in New York City. The organization’s main goal was to achieve voting rights for women. Anthony herself made many speeches for the cause; being a teacher for 15 years, she was very educated and knew how to write exceptionally well. One of her most famous suffrage speeches was delivered in June 1873, while Anthony was under indictment for “the alleged crime of having voted at the last Presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote.” Anthony used her words in this instance, to prove that what she did was not a crime and that it was unconstitutional to consider her actions criminal. In her defense, Anthony makes strong appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos, which is why I believe this speech should be included in the Rhetoric course library.

National Women's Suffrage Association.(1913) Internet: Wikipedia 

    Anthony begins her speech by explaining why she is under indictment. Her crime was voting unlawfully due to the fact that she was a woman. She makes the argument that to be incarcerated for this is unconstitutional. Providing the background that she does in the beginning of her speech adds to her ethos. Anthony states “I stand before you to-night, under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last Presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote.” As a famous speech maker and writer she is already considered credible, and her fighting for such an important cause makes her morally likable. Anthony actually practiced what she preached, and fought for justice by fighting against unjust, sexist laws. She was someone who fought for the basic rights of everyone.

    Furthermore, Anthony offers rationale for her cause by quoting directly from the Constitution, which states in the preamble: "We, the people of the United states...". Anthony focuses on this plural pronoun that clearly includes us all explains how “we” means that whether male or female, the people who make the Union are citizens including, her and all other American females. It shows how the Constitution should apply to women in this country as well. Anthony goes to make the point that women weren't specifically excluded from the laws. She quotes the Constitution again, referring specifically to a section that makes special mention of all those tho whom the laws do not apply. Those excluded are individuals who have been or may be convicted of bribery, larceny, or any infamous act. Anthony's argument is that, nowhere in that list of exclusions does it state "women", which shows that women are full citizens who should be able to excerside their right to vote. Anthony defends herself using a logical, text-based argument.

    Anthony's tone in her speech is demanding; she fearlessly does not back down in her demand that she and all women of America are given their basic rights and allowed to vote. At the end of her speech Anthony proclaims "we propose to fight our battle for the ballot...persistently through to complete triumph, when all United States citizens shall be recognized as equals before the law." This statement and her strength in defending herself and women’s rights is really powerful, because it shows that she, alongside many others, will not stand down and will continue to fight until they get what is rightfully theirs. As a fighter for women’s rights, her words likely inspired her peers and gave them hope, I imagine that when she read this last line the audience felt all sorts of emotions, from sadness to joy, which appeals to pathos. She gave so many emotional examples throughout the piece as well as multiple anecdotes, such as her talk with Senator Sumner, where she asked him for his help in protecting women in their right to vote. Anthony really showed how women are strong and deserve to be treated as such.

    Throughout the speech Anthony employs multiple rhetorical modes, including exemplification and process analysis. Anthony aims to prove the unconstitutionality of denying women the right to vote. She quotes Senator Sumner in her analysis of diction in the Constitution, as he had also helped protect African Americans in their right to vote and was now helping Anthony do the same for women. The Senator had stated that if you deny women the rights given by the Constitution just because it is written with masculine pronouns then you must also "exempt women from taxation...and from penalties for the violation of laws". This is a phenomenal point and proves that you can't make the argument that the Constitution only applies to men just because of the use of masculine pronouns. Anthony also uses process analysis, her speech itself is a step taken to reach the outcome: the right for women vote. Moreover, achieving the right to vote will bring them a step closer to ending women's suffrage. She shows that everything is just one step after another in a long process. Her political activism and her speech, along with others, are the steps being taken to be allowed to vote, which in turn is a step to reaching gender equality.

    Gender inequality is still an issue today, but if it weren't for women like Susan B. Anthony we might not have come as far as we have. People question whether gender equality will ever be attainable. There are many articles on the issue, for example “Gender Equality” in the New York Times, where different people discuss their views on whether or not equality is a possibility one day. One of the women stated "I am always baffled as to why these concepts could ever be contentious." referring to gender equality and feminism. This shows how the issue still isn't revolved and is believed by people to just cause arguments. People still don't know whether or not this issue will ever be resolved. But the progress that women like Anthony have made gives us hope. The Rhetoric library needs this speech in order to show others what a good piece of writing looks like and to remind us that gender equality is an ongoing struggle.