A newly discovered letter penned by Susan B. Anthony is an impassioned plea to President Ulysses S. Grant to encourage Congress to enact women's voting rights.
Here is what she wrote:
Dear Sir,
Allow me to ask you to recommend to Congress to enact a law defining the basis of the Republican form of government it is the duty of the body to guarantee to the Several States of the Union: — also a law defining the fundamental rights of the United States citizen.
You are doubtless aware that several U.S. Citizens are now under arrest by the U.S. Commissioner of this city to answer for "illegal voting" — that is, for exercising what they believe to be the Constitutional right of United States citizens. I am sure you will use your powers to secure protection to all U.S. citizens in New York as well as North Carolina.
If to be a citizen is not be a voter — then what better is a citizen of the U.S. than a subject of the British Empire — if the boast "I am an American citizen" — means only that I am bound to obey the law of the United States — What mockery!
If I am a citizen — I have full and free right of suffrage — If our government is a true republican form — it is founded on the consent of the whole people — not one half.
I pray you, therefore, urge upon Congress to pronounce upon these questions and forever lift the citizens right to vote above the reach of petty officers of the law to impede or deny.
With respect and in behalf of all Women Citizens,
Sincerely Yours
Susan B. Anthony
The letter was dated Nov. 25, 1872, one week after Anthony's arrest for illegally voting in the presidential election.
The following is a transcript of an interview with Allison Hinman, president and CEO of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester.
BA: This letter had been in a private collection for more than 50 years, and until recently, scholars haven't known about it. I was curious what your first reaction was when you heard about its existence.
AH: I think it's always exciting when we find new writings from historic figures in the past, and especially for us, of writing by Susan B. Anthony, the sentiments that are in the letter, though, are really consistent with information and letters and other things that she shared through speeches and through her writings throughout her entire time as an activist and advocating for equality for women.
BA: We know that Susan B. Anthony met with Grant earlier that year before the election. She was trying to convince him to make suffrage part of his platform, but there is no record of him ever receiving this letter. What do you make of that?
AH: You know, I think there's a lot of speculation as to why or why not he might not have received it, or if it was ever sent. I still think that the letter is really exciting, and it made me smile when I read it because, again, the sentiments are what we see consistently.
One of the quotes that we're really enjoying right now from Susan B. Anthony is from 1873, and it says, "To be a citizen is to be a voter." And so, when she's writing about women getting the vote, especially in the 1870s, around the time of her trial and the vote, you know, she uses in her speech. She'll say the only question left to be settled here is: "Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say that they are not being persons than women are citizens, and no state has a right to make any new law or enforce any old law that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. To be a person was to be a citizen, and to be a citizen was to be a voter."
So I loved that what she is stating in this letter is really consistent with what we're seeing in other things that she's saying, either in a speech or in writing, in the 1870s.
BA: Do findings like this ever make you wonder what else is out there that is left to be discovered, or rediscovered?
AH: Oh, absolutely! I still think that there are all sorts of treasures that are going to help shape the discussion around history, shape discussions around individuals and different social movements throughout time that are going to give us a new perspective or help us better understand a new period or something specific about an individual. So, findings like this are always really exciting. History is still being written. There's still a lot left to interpret and a lot left for us to understand about the past.
The 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920 — nearly 48 years after Susan B. Anthony's letter to President Grant, and 14 years after her death.
