Susan B. Anthony gave a speech defending her right to vote after being arrested for casting an illegal vote in the 1872 presidential election. In the speech, she argues that the Constitution's preamble establishes that "we the people" formed the government, not just white males, and therefore women have a constitutional right to vote protected from state denial. Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech to Congress borrowing the civil rights phrase "we shall overcome" in reference to the voting rights struggle. The speech came after violence in Selma, Alabama against African Americans marching to protest laws preventing black voter registration through discriminatory literacy tests.

1. “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

2. 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 atAppomattox. So it
“We Shall
Overcome”
Lynden B. Johnshon

3. “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

4. 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

5. 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 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,

6. 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.
Johnson
We Shall Overcome

7. 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 ofAmerica.”

8. 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”

9. 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 ofAmerica.”
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor

10. 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 atAppomat-
tox. So it was last week in Selma,Alabama.There, long suffering men
Lynden B. Johnson
“We Shall
Overcome”