AMSCO APUSH Practice Exam 2025 - Free AP U.S. History Practice Questions and Study Guide

Susan B. Anthony's arguments for women's suffrage are most clearly understood in the context of the Reconstruction Amendments, particularly the 15th Amendment, which granted African American men the right to vote but did not extend this right to women. Anthony and other suffragists used the momentum and discussions surrounding these amendments as a platform to advocate for women’s voting rights, arguing that if African American men were granted suffrage, then women should also have that same right.

The efforts of Anthony and her contemporaries were part of a broader struggle for civil rights and equality that emerged in the post-Civil War era, highlighting a pivotal moment in American history where the expansion of rights for one marginalized group led to increased calls for rights for others. Her activism during this time emphasized the inconsistency of advocating for freedom and equality while denying women the right to vote.

In contrast, while the Seneca Falls Convention provided an important launching point for the women's rights movement, it occurred earlier than the Reconstruction Amendments and established foundational ideas rather than the specific political context that Anthony was responding to. The Suffrage Movement encompasses the entire push for women's voting rights, but focusing on the Reconstruction Amendments captures the specific historical circumstances that fueled Anthony's arguments at a critical time in