What challenge did Susan B. Anthony encounter in her activism?

Susan B. Anthony faced significant legal opposition to women's voting as a central challenge in her activism. Throughout her career, she fought tirelessly for women's suffrage, which often put her at odds with established laws that prohibited women from voting. This legal barrier was a substantial obstacle, as it wasn't just social attitudes that needed to change; there were concrete laws that mandated what women could and could not do in a political context.

Anthony famously took direct action by voting illegally in the 1872 presidential election, a move that led to her arrest. This act of civil disobedience highlighted the legal restrictions against women and brought national attention to the suffrage movement. The legal opposition included not just the existing laws but also strong institutional resistance from those in power who were threatened by the idea of expanding voting rights. Anthony's efforts were aimed not only at changing public opinion but also at challenging and ultimately changing the legal framework that denied women the right to vote. This framework was intertwined with societal norms and expectations about women's roles at the time, but it was the legal prohibitions that were the most immediate challenges she faced in her activism.