Who was Susan B Anthony and how did she change America forever?

The president’s pardon came on the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote

Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would posthumously pardon Susan B Anthony, one of the most visible figures of the 19th century women's suffrage movement in the US.

The president’s declaration came on the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in America, and as he lags behind Democratic candidate Joe Biden in polls ahead of the November election.

Mr Trump signed a proclamation declaring August as “National Suffrage Month" and announced his intent to pardon Anthony, decrying the activist’s conviction, asking: “What took so long?”

Who was Susan B Anthony?

Anthony was an American activist and pioneer for the women’s suffrage movement in the US, acting as president of the National Woman Suffrage Association between 1892 and 1900.

She was a prominent figure of women’s rights movements and spent her life fighting for the cause.

Activists often visit Anthony’s grave site in Rochester, New York, on Election Day to honour her legacy.

She has faced criticism in recent years for marginalising black women within the women’s movement.

Why was she arrested?

Anthony cast a vote in the 1872 election in Rochester, New York, when it was still illegal for women to vote.

She was found guilty and fined $100 (£75.50), which equates to about $2,100 ($1,590) in 2020, an amount that she never paid.

Following her highly-publicised case, Anthony continued to lobby for women’s rights helping to merge the two largest suffrage associations into one, later leading the organisation.

Her work helped pave the way for the 19th Amendment but she died 14 years before it was passed in 1920.

What is the 19th amendment?

The 19th amendment prohibited voting discrimination on the basis of sex, paving the way for women's ability to vote in the US.

The victory came after a gruelling and militant, century-long campaign by the women’s rights movement, which led to hundreds of women being injured and others arrested.

After launching the women’s rights movement in 1848, women began pushing for the realisation of a federal amendment that would legally grant women the right to vote.

The amendment was passed in 1919 by the Senate after a number of failed attempts.

Despite the milestone, millions of women continued to face discrimination at the polls – black women were disproportionately impacted by suppressive and discriminatory poll taxes and literacy tests, and it wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, decades after the passage of the 19th Amendment, that racial discrimination was prohibited at the polls.

Why is she being pardoned now?

Some have argued that Mr Trump announced the pardon of Anthony this week to generate female support ahead of the November election.

Mr Trump has been trying to rebuild his support within the female suburban demographic, who according to polls, are becoming increasingly alienated from the president.

Others have voiced criticism for the pardon on behalf of Anthony, demanding that Mr Trump rescind it.

“She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to the cause for women’s rights, and never paid her fine,” New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted. “Let her Rest In Peace.”

The pardon also comes amid controversy surrounding the president over mail-in voting in the November election.

Mr Trump, who has publicly condemned widespread mail-in voting, last week opposed the funding for the postal service proposed by Democrats to assist mail-in ballots this November.

The move has stoked accusations from Democrats that Mr Trump is trying to “suppress” the US vote.