On Women’s Right to Voteby Susan B. Anthony (excerpt) Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment f
or 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 tranquility, 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. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people—women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery 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.
How does Susan B. Anthony argue that women are entitled to vote?
A.) She states that the founding documents confer rights on all people, including women, and therefore women are entitled to vote.
B.) She states that women who are born in the United States are automatically considered citizens and therefore have the right to vote.
C.) She states that women already have rights, and they need the right to vote in order to protect these rights.
D.) She states that if the Constitution can guarantee certain rights to racial and ethnic minorities, then it must give women of all races the right to vote.
E.) She states that women have evolved since the time the Constitution was written, so they have earned more responsibility in governing the country.
