Family Tree Tuesday – Susan B. Anthony

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the achievements of women. First celebrated in Germany in 1911, the holiday is now recognized on March 8 of each year by over 100 different countries.  The holiday observes women’s struggle for equality and empowerment throughout history.

In honor of the holiday, today’s Family Tree Tuesday highlights Susan B. Anthony, one of the most prominent figures of the women’s rights movement in the United States.  Along with fellow activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anthony co-founded the National Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1969 . Dedicated to the advancement of women’s suffrage, the organization strove to unite women in the equal rights movement. With the help of Stanton, Anthony drafted the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits any citizen to be denied the right to vote based on gender. Fourteen years after her death, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, giving women the right to vote.

Anthony was born to Lucy Read and Daniel Anthony, a cotton manufacturer and abolitionist. In 1848, her mother attended the historic Seneca Falls Convention, one of the first women’s rights conventions to be held. However, it wouldn’t be for many years later that Anthony would take up the cause herself.

She was the oldest of seven children. Her brother, Daniel Read Anthony, was a publisher and abolitionist. He became very involved in the anti-slavery movement in Kansas. Her sister, Mary Stafford Anthony, was a teacher and women’s suffrage activist. Along with her mother, she signed the Declaration of Sentiments while attending the Seneca Falls Convention.

You can find Anthony’s profile included in the Women’s Rights/Feminism project along with many other notable women’s rights advocates.

Check out Susan B. Anthony’s tree and see how you’re related!