When Donald Trump announced he was pardoning suffragette Susan B. Anthony, I laughed, actually did a spit take. I wrote on Twitter a few times, tongue in cheek, that I’d interviewed Susan and she declined the pardon. Haha.
Now it’s come true! The Susan B. Anthony Museum has rejected the pardon on behalf of Susan, who is out of town. Permanently. Good for them.
Here’s the statement:
[Susan B.} Anthony wrote in her diary in 1873 that her trial for voting was “The greatest outrage History ever witnessed.” She was not allowed to speak as a witness in her own defense, because she was a woman. At the conclusion of arguments, Judge Hunt dismissed the jury and pronounced her guilty. She was outraged to be denied a trial by jury. She proclaimed, “I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty.” To pay would have been to validate the proceedings. To pardon Susan B. Anthony does the same.
If one wants to honor Susan B. Anthony today, a clear stance against any form of voter suppression would be welcome. Enforcement and expansion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be celebrated, we must assure that states respect the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Support for the Equal Rights Amendment would be well received. Advocacy for human rights for all would be splendid. Anthony was also a strong proponent of sex education, fair labor practices, excellent public education, equal pay for equal work, and elimination of all forms of discrimination.
As the National Historic Landmark and Museum that has been interpreting her life and work for seventy-five years, we would be delighted to share more.
Deborah L. Hughes
President & CEO
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House
