Emily Bass
Period 2
Mr. Solomon
3/16/15
My Hero

A hero is someone who you look up to; someone inspirational and great. Many people mistakenly associate the term hero with Superman or Batman. Yes, those people are super heroes, but there are also heroes that don't get enough recognition for what they have done for the world. My hero is Susan B. Anthony, women’s suffrage activist. She has changed lives of women everywhere, especially young women. She will always be remembered for what she has done for our country, and the changes apparent in our lives because of her.
Susan B. Anthony started the Woman's Rights movement. She stood up for women of all kinds; race, religion, etc. Susan knew that something in the world had to be changed. She teamed up with her lifelong friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton to work to create womens rights and to abolish slavery. Together they founded the
Women's Loyal National League
, which conducted the largest petition drive in the nation's history up to that time, collecting nearly 400,000 signatures in support of the abolition of slavery. In 1866, they initiated the
American Equal
Rights Association
, which campaigned for equal rights for both women and African Americans.
In 1869, they founded the
National Woman Suffrage Association as part of a split in the women's movement.
In 1872, Anthony was arrested for voting in her hometown of
Rochester, New York
,
and convicted in a widely publicized trial.In 1878, Anthony and Stanton arranged for Congress to be presented with an amendment giving women the right to vote. Popularly known as the
Anthony Amendment, it became the
Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.
Susan B. Anthony made all these changes that widely affecting all of our lives today.

On a personal level, Susan’s actions have tremendously changed my life. If she had not stood up for what she believed I might not be writing this essay. Girls would not have the same opportunities, my mother would not be able to vote, and I would grow up with partial rights of a
U.S. citizen. Not only did she affect what my actual life is like every day, she also influenced what I stand for. After learning about Susan, I started to be more grateful for the privileges in my life, I began to realize that people in other countries were still dealing with women’s inequality.
Learning about Susan B. Anthony was an eye opener; I know now that I can stand up for what I believe in. I am not afraid to stand up for myself; I am sensitive to any sexism in my daily life, and will gladly say something to ensure equal treatment. Susan B. Anthony changed our country, she started a movement, and she has given me the courage to take on a challenge. She symbolizes resilience; even when all the odds are stacked against someone