Me as Susan B.

Susan B. Anthony (February 15, 1820 - March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. She was born into a Quaker family that was committed to social equality.

Susan B. Anthony (image from Internet)

In 1872, Anthony was arrested for voting in the presidential election and was convicted in a widely publicized trial. Although she refused to pay the $100 fine, the authorities declined to take any further action against her. In 1878, Anthony and her associate Stanton arranged for Congress to be presented with an amendment giving women the right to vote. This amendment was eventually ratified as the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920.

The Nineteenth Amendment prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. It was initially introduced to Congress in 1878, several attempts to pass a women's suffrage amendment failed until 1919, when suffragists pressed President Woodrow Wilson to call a special congressional session. On May 21, 1919, the proposed amendment passed the House of Representatives, followed by the Senate on June 4, 1919. I was then submitted to the states for ratification. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee was the last of the necessary 36 states to secure ratification. The Nineteenth Amendment was officially adopted on August 26, 1920.

The 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment's official adoption is coming up next year and to honor this anniversary I was asked if I would portray Susan B. Anthony for one of my DAR chapter's meetings. My DAR sisters know that I dress up and portray different characters for the county programs I work and thought I would be the most logical person to ask. Of course I said I would help them out.

This November's dinner-meeting was the meeting I portrayed Susan B. Anthony. Myself and four other ladies became the "Hickory Bluff Players" as we, dressed in suffragette costumes and performed our "skit" for the chapter members and their guests as they ate dessert.

The ladies and I walked into the dining room and paraded around it as we chanted, "Votes for women" and waved a 'votes for women' sign.

Susan B. Anthony was introduced and I made my way to the podium. I read the speech that Ms. Anthony gave after her arrest in 1872.  

Here are two of my fellow Hickory Bluff Players dressed as suffragettes and myself as Susan B. Anthony.

A few of the ladies who attended the dinner-meeting also dressed as suffragettes but were not part of the skit. Those of us in costume had a group photograph taken.

Our DAR chapter had a guest speaker joins us at the meeting. She is the Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Charlotte County (the other reason we had our little suffragette skit). Her name is Jean. Jean was impressed with our skit. She said we had done our research well and she really liked my performance and costume as Susan B. Anthony. She liked it so much that she asked me if I could possibly appear as Ms. Anthony at one of her organization's meetings. I emailed her later and said I would be happy to accommodate her. She emailed me back and said she had spoken with a friend of hers who is part of one of Friends of the Library groups and told her about my performance. Her friend just may be interested in a performance too.

Little did I know that donning a gray wig, olde-timey glasses and reading a speech would lead to any encore performances. My 2020 may become a lot busier if  more women's groups hear about my portrayal of Susan B. Anthony.

A bit of trivia...

Question: What does the "B" in Susan B. Anthony stand for?

Answer: Brownell. One of Susan's aunts married a Mr. Brownell.