Susan B. Anthony entry in A Woman of the Century

What it is

This is an entry about Susan B. Anthony published in 1893 in Willard and Livermore's biographical dictionary A Woman of the Century. It opens with her birth details and describes her family background and upbringing.

Why it matters

Written while Anthony was still alive and active, this entry shows how contemporaries summarized and presented her career to the public at the height of her fame as a leading woman suffragist. It reflects the values and interests of the era's reformers who compiled the book.

Look closer

• Why might the authors have chosen to begin with details about her family's religious background?
• What does the entry emphasize about her upbringing, and what might it leave out?
• How might a biography written during someone's lifetime differ from one written after their death?