Women's+Rights+Advocation



** The Support of the //Declaration of Sentiments// ** ** By Carter Hester **

In 1848, married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law. They had no rights what so ever and were under complete control of there fathers, husbands and brothers to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with impunity. All laws were in favor the men them including custody and divorce laws. Women had about the same worth as slaves.

Women had been robbed of self-worth, self-confidence, self-respect, and were made totally dependent on men. They have been searching long and hard for equality. Having no rights they became more and more adamant to having an equal place in society to that of men. Unfortunately, in some places, they are still seeking it out. This is how the //Declaration of Sentiments// came about. It supported women and started a revolution of sorts.

The women’s rights movement officially began the summer of 1840 when Elizabeth Cady Stanton met Lucretia Mott at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, the conference that refused to seat Mott and other women delegates from America because of their sex. They were outraged and spoke of a convention similar to the one they were attending but to address the lack of women’s rights. And so came the birth of a revolution of sorts. Eight years later the “convention” took place. A small group of women, namely, Lucretia Mott, Martha C. Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann McClintock, and Jane Hunt(all Quaker women except Stanton), met in Waterloo, New York as a social event. It was there that they decided to lay the wrongs committed against women before the public with the //Declaration of Sentiments//, written by  Stanton. They modeled it after the //Declaration of Independence// perhaps to get into the heads of the politicians that would see the document. It read that all men and women were created equal and went on to list eighteen "injuries and usurpations" -the same number of charges leveled against the King of England-"on the part of man toward woman." Stanton also drafted eleven resolutions and to the ninth resolution Mott exclaimed, “Why, Lizzie, thee will make us ridiculous." But Stanton stood her ground and replied, “But I persisted, for I saw clearly that the power to make the laws was the right through which all other rights could be secured ."([|www.npg.si.edu])

Stanton and her associates would continue to make an effort to push their way into politics and society making way for women’s rights advocators and feminists all over.

The //Declarations of Sentiment// really laid out a wonderful argument for women all over the world and may have been a catalyst or even jumpstart to the “revolution”. It presented problems that people had forgot or put aside as inconsequential to the progress of the country when really it had everything to do with it. Women weren’t allowed jobs, with exception of teaching and publishing, or property rights or even advanced education. They weren’t allowed into colleges until 1910 and voting rights weren’t established for them until the 1920’s in Wyoming of all places. It took 196 years for women to gain legal equality in the United States and they are still not treated equally in some areas.

It is my opinion that women have been unappreciated for far too long and should have a bit more support in areas. They are still encouraged by some men and even some religions to become housewives or even completely submit to their husbands. You would think that in these times, not so great as the depression, but not wonderful they would be more encouraged to search out jobs at least if they are qualified instead of “leaving it to the men.” I however am glad that we have made it so far in the last 196 years as we have and that there are so many shelters and the like to take care of those in need.

Women have come a long way in history and continue to make the front page with their heroic acts and achievements. I must give some credit to those men who have helped us move through that particular area of times past. Men may not have had to fight for the same things as we have but they certainly have fought for something.


 * Bibliography **

Halsall, Paul. "Modern History Sourcebook: The Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls, 1848." //fordham.edu//. N.P., 1998. Web. 13 Apr 2011.

Ruthsdotter, Mary, and Bonnie Einsberg. "Legacy '98: A Short History of The Movement." //legacy98.com//. National Women's History Project, 1998. Web. 13 Apr 2011.

"Seneca Falls." //www.npg.si.edu//. N.P., N.D. Web. 13 Apr 2011. [].