Susan B. Anthony Casts Illegal Ballot
In the decades after the Civil War, women's suffrage advocates like Susan B. Anthony argued that the 14th Amendment granted citizens—including women—the right to vote. On November 5, 1872, in Rochester, New York, Anthony and 14 other women registered and cast ballots in the presidential election despite state laws barring women. Poll workers, uncertain of their authority, accepted the votes after the women swore oaths affirming eligibility. Anthony was arrested two weeks later and indicted for illegal voting under federal law. Her highly publicized trial in 1873 ended in conviction, though she refused to pay the $100 fine. The case drew national attention to suffrage and highlighted contradictions in citizenship rights.
Why it matters: Anthony's act tested constitutional interpretations and galvanized the suffrage movement, contributing to decades of activism that culminated in the 19th Amendment. It exemplified civil disobedience strategies later used in other rights campaigns and underscored ongoing debates over voting access.