The Fundamental Principle of a Republic (Original Recording‪)‬

Anna Howard Shaw is indeed a fascinating figure in American history. Physician, Suffragette, social reformer, and one of the first female ordained Methodist ministers, but where Shaw really shines is as an orator. A vanguard of feminism in the United States, Shaw made many an address in the name of equal rights for women, and The Fundamental Principle of a Republic was among her finest. Made in 1915 at the New York State equal suffrage campaign at the Ogdenburg City Opera House, in the speech, Shaw discusses Republican politics of the day and the US government, democracy, and women's right to vote, among other topics, with an undeniable intelligence, passion, and eloquence. It is no wonder the address is considered one of the greatest US speeches of modern times.