Susan B. Anthony: The Making of America, Book 4
By Lucinda Dyer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspiring bio of a courageous champion of women's rights.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
SUSAN B. ANTHONY packed an almost unimaginable amount of social activism into her 86 years. She was an abolitionist, a campaigner for women's rights, a labor activist, an educational reformer, and a crusading newspaper owner. Born in 1820, she was raised in a well-to-do (most of the time) Quaker family by a father who believed strongly that his daughters should be educated women. Anthony became a teacher and eventually headmistress of a school, both remarkable achievements for a young woman. But when her father introduced her to abolitionists Fredrick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, Anthony set out on a new path as an activist and never looked back. She began organizing anti-slavery meetings and lectures at a time when a woman speaking in public (not to mention in support of such a controversial cause) was considered almost scandalous. In 1851, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was already a leader in the women's suffrage movement. For the next 50 years, they would lead the fight for women's rights. Anthony lobbied Congress each year for the rest of her life, advocating for women's right to vote. She lived to see women get the vote in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho but died at age 86, 14 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, finally giving women the right to vote in every state.
Is It Any Good?
This is an inspiring, in-depth biography of a feminist crusader who worked tirelessly for a future where a woman could be "her own individual self," fully equal with men. Because Susan B. Anthony led multiple lives as an activist, the book is information heavy. The photos, illustrations, and sidebars provide good breaks in the text, as readers can see photos of the people Anthony was working alongside, copies of posters for her meetings, and explanations of things like paternalism and a woman's role in 19th-century America. But readers who aren't history fans or who are looking for a quick read may be easily overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people, dates, and events.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned from Susan B. Anthony about the lack of rights for women in the 19th century. What rights do you think women are still fighting for today?
Would you have the courage to keep speaking if people in the audience were yelling threats, throwing things, and even waving guns around? What do you think gave Anthony the courage to keep speaking out?
If Susan B. Anthony were alive today, what causes or movements do you think she'd be involved in?
Book Details
- Author: Teri Kanefield
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Activism, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: March 26, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 240
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 6, 2019
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