Susan B Anthony may be one of my favorite
heroes in this whole book and you know why
it's 'cause Susan B Anthony had been reduced
to this lady on a coin right that's what it
is and people go oh Susan you know if you
said you were putting together a book of famous
female heroes they go oh you've got to put
Susan B Anthony and you know why nobody knows
why right they know she had something to do
with voting she's powerful she does something
but here's what I love is she comes alive
in this book to me and she came alive to me
when I was researching this book Susan B Anthony
goes to vote and this is a time when women
don't have the right to vote and she goes
to vote and they say listen you can't vote
you're a woman and Susan B Anthony says screw
you I'm voting here's what the Constitution
says here's the you know she literally goes
and points out the clause that says everyone
has you know equal protection and they she
actually convinces the poll workers to let
her vote and she casts a ballot and you know
what that's against the law and they that's
against the law you're going to be arrested
for that and they bring her down and they
arrest her and they fine her for breaking
the law women aren't allowed to vote and she
says you know what screw you I'm never and
they fine her and they say you have to come
into the court and we're going to you know
we're going to have this big trial and you're
going to see how wrong you were lady and Susan
B Anthony says I'm not paying to go there
I won't even give you the money to get o the
trolley to get down to the court house so
the police actually pay the trolley money
she won't give 'em a dollar and she gets down
to the court and the judge basically you know
it's this totally kind of rigged trial the
judge instructs the jury instructs the jury
and says find her guilty you know it's terrible
and now she's supposed to be defeated right
and he purposely doesn't grant her an appeal
because he doesn't want her to have the power
to appeal it so he basically you know plays
around with the legal system so she doesn't
do that so what she does and now she's supposed
to be screwed at this point right um hm Susan
B Anthony has I love this is she basically
gets transcripts of the entire trial and gets
copies of them and them mails them to every
newspaper she can find everywhere you know
pre internet this isn't like you go around
and you start a website Susan B Anthony says
you know what watch what I can do let me show
you the power of one person and every time
she can have anyone listen to her about equal
rights and women voting she is there talking
about it she is there thumping and she dies
before they pass the women's right to vote
act and so people would say wow her life was
a failure right she didn't succeed it didn't
happen but when they finally pass it it is
called the Susan B Anthony Act This excerpt
is brought to you by the Massachusetts School
of Law
