Trial of Susan B. Anthony

In 1872, after the ratification of the 14th Amendment, the women’s suffrage movement took a daring step forward, asserting that the right to vote was a fundamental “privilege and immunity” of citizenship. This revolutionary idea led fourteen women, including the legendary Susan B. Anthony, to register and cast their ballots in Rochester, NY. Their victory was fleeting; they were soon arrested, along with three election inspectors who accepted their votes. To avoid a sympathetic jury, the prosecution relocated the trial to Canandaigua in June 1873, captivating the public and drawing widespread attention. This episode features the complete transcript of Anthony’s trial, including her stirring remarks at sentencing, along with transcripts from the election inspectors’ trial, speeches by Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Joslyn Gage, and a critical analysis by John Hooker that reveals the trials significant irregularities.