“ On Women’s Right to Vote”

Susan B. Anthony

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any state to deny.The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: “ We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more

perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And

In this eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase “we shall overcome,” borrowed from African American leaders struggling for equal rights. The speech was made on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial vio-lence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. That discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests adminis-tered solely to African Americans to keep them from ever registering to vote. Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African Americans to vote. The police violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitari-an-Universalist Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb. A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Feder-al intervention via the ‘federalizing’ of the Alabama National Guard and the addition of over 2,000 other guards to ensure protection and allow the march to begin. On Sunday, March 21st, 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news coverage.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.

At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it

“ We Shall Overcome”

Lynden B. Johnshon

“ On Women’s Right to Vote”

Susan B. Anthony

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presiden-tial election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any state to deny.The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: “ We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more

perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery

In this eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase “we shall overcome,” borrowed from African American leaders struggling for equal rights. The speech was made on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. That discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests administered solely to African Americans to keep them from ever registering to vote. Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African Americans to vote. The police violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitarian- Universalist Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb. A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Federal intervention via the ‘federalizing’ of the Alabama National Guard and the addition of over 2,000 other guards to ensure protection and allow the march to begin. On Sunday, March 21st, 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news coverage.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.

“ We Shall Overcome”

Lynden B. Johnshon

Susan B. AnthonyOn Women’s Right to Vote

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitu-tion, beyond the power of any state to deny.The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: “ We, the people of the United States, in order to

form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common de-fense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,

In this eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase “we shall overcome,” borrowed from African American lead-ers struggling for equal rights. The speech was made on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Ameri-cans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination.That discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests administered solely to African Americans to keep them from ever register-ing to vote. Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African Americans to vote. The police violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitarian-Universalist Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb. A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Federal intervention via the ‘federalizing’ of the Alabama Nation-al Guard and the addition of over 2,000 other guards to ensure protec-tion and allow the march to begin. On Sunday, March 21st, 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news coverage.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Ameri-cans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.

Lynden B. JohnsonWe Shall Overcome

Susan B. Anthony

“ On Women’s Right to Vote”

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the pow-er of any state to deny.The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: “ We, the people of the United States, in order to form

a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

In this eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase “we shall overcome,” borrowed from African American leaders struggling for equal rights.

The speech was made on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination.

That discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests administered solely to African Ameri-cans to keep them from ever registering to vote.

Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African Americans to vote. The po-lice violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitarian-Universalist Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb.

A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Federal intervention via the ‘federalizing’ of the Alabama National Guard and the addition of over 2,000 other guards to ensure protection and allow the march to begin.

On Sunday, March 21st, 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news coverage.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.

Lynden B. Johnson

“ We Shall Overcome”

Susan B. Anthony

“ On Women’s Right to Vote”

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the pow-er of any state to deny.The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: “ We, the people of the United States, in order to form

a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor

In this eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase “we shall overcome,” borrowed from African American leaders struggling for equal rights. The speech was made on Monday, March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence had erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. That discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests administered solely to African Americans to keep them from ever registering to vote. Civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters had planned to march from Selma to Montgom-ery to register African Americans to vote. The police violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitarian-Universalist Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb. A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Federal intervention via the ‘federal-izing’ of the Alabama National Guard and the addition of over 2,000 other guards to ensure protection and allow the march to begin. On Sunday, March 21st, 1965, the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3,000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news coverage.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause. At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomat-tox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. There, long suffering men

Lynden B. Johnson

“ We Shall Overcome”