Mohandas Gandhi The life work of Gandhi created a major mechanism for significant positive change in our world history that we still value and honor today. Gandhi dedicated his life to advocating for civil rights in India and South Africa as well as the philosophy of passive resistance in order to achieve his goals and not cooperate with authorities which he deemed unjust. Gandhi studied law and advocated for Indian rights in South Africa and his home country of India during the many years he lived there. (History, 2010) The changes he created within these countries have inspired similar change in the United States with practices we still incorporate today. Through the practice of Satyagraha Gandhi was able to use social and political action to achieve his goals. Two significant changes Gandhi put into action are helping India gain Independence from Britain and the use of the philosophy of Satyagraha. (Gandhi, 2014) After Gandhi spent 20 years in South Africa advocating for Indian rights he continued with this passion in his home country of India. In 1914 he became the leader of the Indian National Congress using his policy of non-violent, non- cooperation passive resistance to achieve the goal gaining impendence of India from Great Britain. Gandhi influenced his following by leading from example. Gandhi used the act of fasting a form of passive resistance as a means of protest. (Gandhi, 2014). His fasting resulted in intense reaction from his followers which in turn put immense pressure on the British and the Hindu community and government resulting in fast reforms. In protest to the British tax on salt which tremendously affected the poor Gandhi empowered his philosophy of Satyagraha. He led a campaign of civil disobedience that was active for nearly a decade with final results putting pressure on the governments in South Africa, Britain and India to agree to compromise negotiated by Gandhi. The negotiations resulted in the abolition of poll taxes for Indians and recognition of Indian marriages. In 1930 he led a march two hundred miles to the sea to collect salt in symbolic defiance of government monopoly (Gandhi, 2014). Focused on achieving independence for India, Gandhi organized boycotts of British goods using peaceful forms of civil disobedience. A way in which he did this was pushing for the manufacturing of Khaddar, a homespun cloth in India in order to replace those imported from Britain (History, 2010). Gandhi was jailed many times because of his actions with the civil disobedience campaign. In 1947 India finally gains independence from Great Britain as a result of the years of hard work and dedication of Gandhi using Satyagraha to achieve his goals. (History, 2010).

Susan B. Anthony

The life work of Susan B. Anthony was a mechanism for significant change for women in the United States. Anthony dedicated her life to the Women’s Suffrage movement as well as civil rights for women and all. The lives of women were forever changed as a result of the efforts of Anthony’s endless campaigning and hard work. Two major changes inspired by Anthony are the Susan B. Anthony Amendment giving women the right to vote and the New York State Women’s Property Bill becoming a law. Susan B. Anthony came from a family of Quaker activists. She was exposed to and a part of this movement from early in her life and adopted the same values and a strong conviction for justice. Anthony used her passion to fuel her aggressive style to fight for what she believed in. The combination of these traits gave her the ability to inspire and create great change throughout her life. She faced opposition and abuse as she traveled and yet pushed on for her cause of women suffrage and civil rights for all. In 1856 she joined the anti-slavery society. She faced hostile mobs and armed threats but still pushed one through her passion. She became a teacher and taught for 15 years earning only $110 per year. She knew she wanted to make a positive change for the women’s civil rights. She had the insight to understand that laws were not going to be passed to support the rights of women unless women had the right to vote. She then decided to join the women’s rights movement in 1852 and dedicated her life to women’s suffrage. (Anthony Museum Staff, 2013) Anthony began her life of campaigning supporting the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property, retain their own earnings and advocating for women’s labor organizations. In 1863 along with the support of Elizabeth Cady Stanton they organized the Women’s National Loyal League to advocate for the 13th amendment to abolish slavery. They also campaigned for full citizenship for women and those of any race as well as the right to vote. It was passed however they were very discouraged when women were excluded from the vote. However, Anthony kept on campaigning. In 1868 she began to publish her own newspaper in Rochester, NY called The Revolution. She used this as a tool to spread her campaign. In the 1890’s she raised $50,000 in pledges to make the University of Rochester admit women into the college. In 1900 women were admitted into the University for the first time. In 1866 she founded The American Equal Rights Association to support her cause. She became a delegate of the National Labor Congress in 1868 and persuaded the committee on female labor to receive equal pay for equal work. In 1870 she then formed and was elected president of the Working Women’s Central Association. In the 1890’s she became the president of the National American Women’s Suffrage Movement to protect working women’s rights. In 1869 the Women’s Suffrage Movement split up so Anthony and Stanton formed the National Association to continue the campaign for women’s right to vote. She campaigned state to state advocating for women’s right to vote. Finally in 1869 their hard work paid off and Wyoming became the first state to give women the right to vote. Anthony then continued to advocate for women’s suffrage through the west. In 1872 Anthony was arrested for voting in Rochester. She refused to pay for her street car fee claiming she was traveling under protest at the government’s expense. In 1892 she became the president of the National American Women’s Suffrage movement. She continued to campaign in the west to make sure where women had the right to vote they were not blocked from admission. Due to her endless campaigning and advocating women were finally granted the right to vote in 1920. Another significant change Anthony strongly influenced was the passing of the New York State Women’s Property Law in 1860. She began campaigning for women’s property rights in 1853 by speaking at meetings, collecting signatures for petitions and lobbying state legislature. Anthony’s passion and dedication made for significant change for the lives of women in the United States paving the way for the right to vote and equal civil rights for all.

Reference List:
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved from: http://www.biography.com/people/mahatma-gandhi-9305898

History.com, Staff. (2010). Mohandas Gandhi. The Biography.com website. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/topics/mahatma-gandhi

Susan B. Anthony Museum Staff. (2013). Susan B. Anthony. The Susan B. Anthony website. Retrieved from: http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/her-story/biography.php