Susan B. Anthony Cast Her Ballot And Was Arrested, by Godfrey D. Lehman

This article provides several examples of some of the techniques reformers employ to overcome societal injustices. The teacher should point these out as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the legal process. There will be students who are mystified by how a judge could flagrantly compromise the law and “get away with it”. Explain to students that the legal process is often slow and on certain levels must address the “letter of the law” rather than its “spirit”. Finally, I think it important to consider the impact of both “positive” and “negative” examples on public sentiment. It could be argued that in the long run Judge Hunt, albeit unintentionally, helped the cause of women’s rights by his reprehensible behavior. Have students “weigh in” on this question. 

Literature Connection: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen