Question

1. in her speech after being convicted of voting, susan b. anthony argues that though she voted in a presidential election during a period when american women were not allowed to vote, she not only committed no crime, but instead, simply exercised her citizen’s rights. does anthony succeed in proving this point? why or why not? be sure to use specific details from the text to support your claim. (10 points)

5.1.3 final exam: semester exam
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Explanation:

Susan B. Anthony succeeds in proving her point. She uses the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to argue that "We the people" includes women, so voting is a citizen’s right. She points out that the preamble of the Constitution doesn’t exclude women, and by voting, she was exercising rights guaranteed to all citizens. She also highlights the hypocrisy of a government that denies half its population (women) the right to vote while claiming to be of, by, and for the people. Her logical appeal to legal and founding documents, along with her emphasis on equal citizenship, effectively supports her claim that voting was a rightful act, not a crime.

Answer:

Susan B. Anthony succeeds in proving her point. She uses the U.S. Constitution (noting "We the people" includes women, as the preamble has no gender - based exclusion) and the Declaration of Independence’s principles of equality. By showing voting aligns with citizen rights (as the government is "of, by, for the people" and women are people), and highlighting the hypocrisy of denying women the vote while claiming democratic ideals, she logically supports that voting was a rightful exercise of citizenship, not a crime.