Today I walked in Susan B. Anthony’s footsteps. I visited the Susan B. Anthony House in Rochester, New York, and several other historical spots along the way. And what an exciting way to experience women’s history and do research for my book about Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton!

Susan B. Anthony House
The Susan B. Anthony House is located at 17 Madison Street in Rochester, New York. When you turn onto Madison Street from Main Street, you feel as if you have stepped back in time. The narrow street is lined with colorful, Victorian-style houses, and the slate sidewalk is the original sidewalk that Miss Anthony trod. The Visitors’ Center, located at 16 Madison Street, used to be the home of Susan B. Anthony’s sister Hannah and her husband. During the tour of the house, you get a good sense of the strong family bond that was shared amongst the Anthonys, and you also get the impression that many famous abolitionists and suffragists stepped foot under the roof.

Miss Anthony’s family moved to Rochester in 1845 while Susan was away teaching school in Canajoharie. The Anthony’s originally lived on a farm out by where the current day airport is located. But when Daniel Anthony, Susan’s father, died in 1860, Susan’s mother Lucy and sister Mary decided to sell the farm and purchase the home on Madison Street. The three Anthony women lived in the house together for the remainder of their lives.

Often overlooked in the telling of the women’s suffrage story, Mary Anthony was a dedicated suffragist herself. In fact, Mary was the one who persuaded Susan to take up the suffrage cause. As one of the staff members at the Susan B. Anthony House explained to me, “Susan preached the suffrage message, while Mary lived the suffrage life.” Mary had a keen business sense. She pinched every penny, paid the family’s bills and taxes, and she kept the home fires burning for Susan when she would return from long absences from being on the suffrage trail. Mary was a teacher, and when the Rochester school where she worked asked her to replace the male principal, Mary insisted that she would only take the job if she was paid equal wages. They wouldn’t meet her salary demands, so she turned down the job. A year later, the job was again offered to her, this time with equal wages, and she accepted. Because of her frugality, Mary was able to retire at age 55, in a time when pensions were not common. Mary had invested enough money to support herself and her sister for the next 25 years. What an important lesson, even for women today! [Read more...]