Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 5, 2024. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On Nov. 5, 1872, suffragist Susan B. Anthony defied the law by casting a vote in the presidential election; she was later arrested and charged with “knowingly voting without having a lawful right to vote.” Found guilty at trial, she was fined $100, which she refused to pay. And it didn’t slow Anthony down. Born Feb. 15, 1820, in Adams, Massachusetts, and one of eight children, Susan’s father felt that women should get as much education as they wished, so he added a room to their home as a school for his own children and others. The family were Quakers and believed in equality for men and women. They supported major reforms, such as anti-slavery and temperance (the campaign to abolish alcoholic beverages). She taught school for a few years, then formed the Women’s State Temperance Society of New York. Anthony supported the work of women in Utah to gain the right to vote, and visited Utah in 1870 and 1895. She was a friend of Emmeline B. Wells, the editor of the Woman’s Exponent, and the newspaper frequently published Anthony’s writing and speeches on women’s suffrage. Through the years, coverage of Anthony’s words and actions appeared in the Deseret News. Anthony died in 1906. Recognizing her pivotal role in the suffrage movement, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was minted for just four years: 1979-1981, and again in 1999. Due to its small size and the timing of its release, these $1 coins never caught on with the public. Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about Anthony and women’s suffrage issues in the 19th century: “Susan B. Anthony: A champion of women’s rights” “LDS were pioneers in women’s suffrage” “Guest opinion: Women should take more control of their finances” “International Women’s Day: A history of the first Latter-day Saint women’s newspaper” “The night 150 years ago that Utah women changed history” “When Utahns risked their bid for statehood by supporting equal voting rights for women” “Women’s rights historical sites”
