Susan B. Anthony Passes the Torch

She inscribes a set of her “History of Woman Suffrage” to her cousin, describing the 4 stages of the women’s suffrage movement as 1. “Early…struggles for liberty”; 2. The “herculean efforts” that were made to make the movement national; 3. The “valiant efforts to get the right of women to vote”; and 4. The work that remains to be done.

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton initiated the project of writing a history of the women’s suffrage movement in 1876. The result, the “History of Woman Suffrage”, was a landmark work that serves as a moving testament to what intelligent, courageous, and committed individuals can accomplish when they join together to accomplish a great goal. Producing this history, which was ultimately a four volume set of books, dominated Anthony’s life for much of the next decade. It was written and published during the heat of battle, and the preface notes that some women’s rights activists felt it was too soon to publish the history of a movement that was still working to attain its objective. But Anthony and Stanton were determined to capture the words and insights of their contemporaries in the movement while they were still living. Today the work is an extraordinary primary resource.

In the introduction the authors wrote of their intentions: “We hope the contribution we have made may enable some other hand in the future to write a more complete history of ‘the most momentous reform that has yet been launched on the world—the first organized protest against the injustice which has brooded over the character and destiny of one-half the human race.”

Volumes 1 through 3 of the magnum opus were written by Anthony, Stanton, and Matilda Gage. Volume 1 covered the early period of the women’s rights struggle from 1848-1861; Volume 2 covered the period from 1861-1876; and Volume 3 covered the period from 1876-1885. The fourth volume, written by Anthony and Ida H. Harper, came out in 1902.

In 1905 85 year old Anthony met with President Theodore Roosevelt in Washington, D.C., about submitting a suffrage amendment to Congress. On February 15 of 1906 she gave her “Failure is Impossible” speech at her 86th birthday celebration. She died at her home in Rochester on March 13, 1906.

Susan’s cousin Anna Anthony was born in 1853. She married Josias J. Andrews and they had daughters. In August 1905, with her career virtually over and having only six months to live, Anthony sent Anna a set of her “History of Woman Suffrage”, and inscribed the volumes with what constitutes a summary of the stages of the women’s rights movement, and a virtual valedictory of her work and career. At the end she passes the torch to the younger generation. Each volume is inscribed to “Mrs. Anna Anthony Andrews, 138 Chateau Street, Los Angeles, California.”  The books have been well re-bound in 20th century cloth.

Volume 1: “This volume tells of the early efforts to secure equal civil rights. May you and your dear girls become familiar with these struggles for liberty – is the wish of your affectionate cousin, Susan B. Anthony, August 26, 1905, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N.Y.”

Volume 2: “It is with great pleasure that I give these 4 volumes to you and your lovely daughters. I trust you will study & see what herculean efforts we made in very many states of the union. Sincerely your cousin, Susan B. Anthony, August 26, 1905, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N.Y.”

Volume 3: “In this volume is given the valiant efforts to get the right of women to vote – under the original Federal Constitution and Art. IV & XV amendments. The arguments were clear as could be but the political exigencies forbid – and we had to wait. Affectionately your cousin, Susan B. Anthony, August 26, 1905, Rochester, N.Y.”

Volume 4: “Here is the culmination of the work for the emancipation & enfranchisement of woman at the close of the 19th century. It is marvelous the gains in all directions. Now it is left for the present and future generations to carry forward the work to final success. How soon it will be an accomplished fact that woman will stand the peer of man – socially, morally, industrially and politically – remains for the future to tell. Your affectionate cousin, Susan B. Anthony, August 26, 1905, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N.Y.”

This is undoubtedly the most important set of Anthony inscriptions, and the only ones to a relative, we have handled, or in fact can recall seeing. Of course, her vision was realized in 1920 with passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to all U.S. women over 21.