Susan B. Anthony

This biography for young readers examines the life of an American who advocated for women’s rights and the abolishment of slavery. Susan B. Anthony was born into a world in which men ruled women. A man could beat his wife, take her earrings, have her committed to an asylum based on his word alone, and take her children away from her. While the young nation was ablaze with the radical notion that people could govern themselves, “people” were understood to be white and male. Women were expected to stay out of public life and debates. As Anthony saw the situation, “Women’s subsistence is in the hands of men, and most arbitrarily and unjustly does he exercise his consequent power.” She imagined a different world—one where women and people of color were treated with the same respect that white men were given. Susan B. Anthony explores her life, from childhood to her public career as a radical abolitionist to her rise to become an international leader in the women’s suffrage movement. The book includes selections of Anthony’s writing, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.  “Susan B. Anthony, who fought tirelessly for women to have the right to vote, is profiled in this very readable entry in the Making of America series.” —Booklist