Elizabeth Cady Stanton: The Women's Rights Movement

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In the late Nineteenth century, women were beginning to become more progressive in their actions. They began to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. In the late 1850’s, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the more prominent women to do so. She worked with Susan B. Anthony to deliver a majority of the population the rights that they rightfully deserved. Her actions are important in the United States’ History because they helped to encourage women to form the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Many Scholars have written about her, but simply with a different lens of focus. For example, they have written about her use of the bicycle in her campaign and her unique stance on religion. It is important to continue studying her actions because the issues she was fighting for back then, such as: the abolition of capital punishment, and an end to police brutality, are still issues today. Perhaps if the people of the United States today collectively took after her intrepid and forward thinking attitude in life, there could be more positive change in this country.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was not just a mother, daughter, feminist, and writer; but she is the woman who changed the lives of women everywhere by fighting for equality. Stanton lived a normal childhood, but one that motivated her to never give up hope in reaching her goal. A quick background of her life will help better understand why she became such a powerful woman’s rights activist. Also, what she accomplished that changed history and how it still affects us today in 2011. I will also express my individual satisfaction with what this incredible woman has done for women everywhere. On November 12, 1815 Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born to the Cady family in Johnstown, New York (Gordon, 2009). She was born into a high-class, conservative,

Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton knew that they were being discriminated against because of their gender, and they refused to take it. "In 1869, however, a rift developed among feminists over the proposed 15th Amendment, which gave the vote to black men. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others refused to endorse the amendment because it did not give women the ballot." (Grolier). Stanton and Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for suffrage on the federal level and to press for more extensive institutional changes, such as the granting of property rights to married women. (Grolier)Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), one of the main leaders in the women's rights movement, she worked for over 50 years to help women achieve the right to vote. She gave speeches to make her views known to everyone. On January 18, 1892, she spoke before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. The speech was highly favorable, both within and outside the woman suffrage movement. (Solitude of Self)Susan B. Anthony registered and voted in the 1872 election in Rochester, NY. As planned, she was arrested (Susan B. Anthony Petition)

But during and after the convention, they became more empowered to change their future. On the first day of the convention, they learned that they were powerful and the people there wanted to listen to what they had to say. “Approximately forty men showed up. The five women decided to allow them to stay, although they were asked to listen rather than talk that first day.” The women organized the convention. Therefore, it was their right to run the meeting and be in charge. “Lucretia Mott introduced the convention, she was followed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton who, terrified, gave her first speech.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a well-educated woman who married Henry Stanton who was an abolishment lecturer. When she became involved with the anti-slavery act along with her husband, she met Lucretia Mott and they became fast friends. They both disliked how women were being excluded in the anti-slavery events and so they decided to call a convention in the near future. After the convention, on August 2, 1848, there was another convention called the Rochester, New York Convention that was an additional meeting to discuss more about women's suffrage. In the beginning of the convention, Abigail Bush took a radical step when she went to the podium to chair the meeting. In order to show that women were making a change and taking control, Abigail took control of the whole meeting. During the convention

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was known as the "Daughter of the Revolution," which dealt with women's suffrage (Ward 92). Stanton was born on November 12, 1815, to Daniel Cady and Margaret Livingston. Daniel, her father, held the position of judge of Johnstown, New York. Unfortunately for Daniel, Margaret gave birth to only three sons, two whom died shortly after; one at birth and the other after graduating from Union College . Stanton engaged herself in Greek studies and mathematics at the Johnstown Academy. She learned to ride and manage a horse and became a skilled debator. She also found great joy in participating in various sporting activities, although her mother greatly dissapproved, referring to Stanton as

Susan B. Anthony once said, “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.” (Brainy Quote) Susan B. Anthony is a recognizable name, but one that is not rightfully credited for the equal society we live in today. During her time, “equal” was a feared term for many American citizens, and at the mention of this word, many turned their heads. To some, equal meant white, middle-class men giving away their to control to those who were “unfit” to have any sort of decision-making role in society; women and African American’s. Whether it was her Quaker upbringing or her inborn strength, Susan B. Anthony refused to live in a world where any type of person was treated unequally. Although she started as an abolitionist and temperance movement activist, she went on to become one of the most influential suffragists in United States History. Susan B. Anthony’s fiery passion and courage regarding the equal rights of all people, regardless of gender or color, started a revolutionary movement that impacted not only the United States, but the entire world.

(Hannam 296) During the Anti-Slavery Movement, she had valuable experience in public speaking and running poilitical organizations through her work in the abolishionist movement. (298 ) in the process women were generally discouraged from taking active part in public life and expected to join women only groups in support of male organizations (ibid) While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known for her long contribution to the woman suffrage struggle, without her struggles these issues wouldnt have been effective in winning property rights for married women, equal guardianship of children, and liberalized divorce laws. These reforms made it possible for women to leave marriages that were abusive of the wife, the children, and the economic health of the family.

Did Elizabeth Cady Stanton take an effective stand for women’s suffrage? Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, New York. She died on October 26, 1902 in New York, New York. Stanton studied at Johnstown Academy, Troy Female Seminary. Stanton was an early leader of women’s rights movement. She was an activist, feminist, editor and writer. She was committed in the abolitionist movement. She and Susan B. Anthony helped each other to form the world’s first women’s rights convention in 1848, and formed the National Women’s Loyal League in 1863. Elizabeth Stanton became the increasingly marginalized voice among women reformer late in life. Stanton received the best female education at that time at Emma Willard's Academy.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the most influential activists of the national women’s suffrage movement in the 19th century. After the Civil War, she helped to found the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which strived to break gender inequality by advocating the need for women’s rights (Davis 28). In January 1892, Stanton delivered her speech “The Solitude of

A 19th-century suffragist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was born on November 12, 1815, became involved in the abolitionist movements and many women’s rights movements. She helped organize the world’s first women’s rights convention in 1848 which is one of her major achievements. She also made the National Women’s Loyal League with Susan B. Anthony in 1863, and became Anthony’s close friend. They later established the National Woman Suffrage Association together. With her knowledge and determination to bring women rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton became a known voice for women rights. Her efforts helped start a massive movement for women’s rights and equality. It is still going today. (History).

Stanton worked very closely with Anthony when it came to fighting for women’s rights. Stanton was the president of the National Women Suffrage Association as well as Anthony. Stanton was also in attendance when the Seneca Falls convention took place in July 1848. The Seneca Falls convention was a convention where a group of women all gathered and proposed that women should be granted the right to vote. Stanton fought for women’s rights in general, such as the right for women to divorce their husband instead of only the other way around and the right to vote particularly. For most of Stanton’s life, she would travel to many different places and lecture and inform people about women’s rights. Stanton would also campaign for the many groups she was associated with. Alongside Anthony, Stanton wrote many forms of journalism about women’s rights. Together they wrote the first three volumes of the History of Women Suffrage, which Matilda Joslyn Gage also helped out a little bit on. As a successful author and a woman’s rights activist, nothing was handed to her easily. She made quite an impact on the women’s rights movement. “The best protection a women can have is courage” is a very famous quote from Stanton that really describes what she stands for and what she believes in. Lucretia Mott was another women’s rights activist that always stood up for what she believed

In 1848, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton set up a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss their rights as women. In this meeting, they discussed that their rights is as important as men are and they shouldn’t have to fight for basic rights such as the right to vote. This was simply the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States. In the keynote address at the first Women’s Rights Convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton uses concrete detail and diction to persuade her audience that they need to fight for equal rights, to have an equal voice. Demanding the freedom and representation that women utterly deserve.

First of all, the most famous influential feminist lead was known when she was a child. Elizabeth was born in November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, NY (Elizabeth Cady Stanton Biography). Her father was a judge and her mother was a house wife; during that time females where thought of 2nd class citizens and had few rights (Salisbury). Elizabeth’s wealthy parents hired Scottish nurses and there slave Peter Teabout to take care of the girls; the Cady sisters

Elizabeth Cady Stanton took matters into her own hands and had an important meeting and convention. Seneca Falls turned into a very important place for future changes in women's rights. According to Mountjoy, an important meeting was held in Seneca Falls being a tea meeting at a reformers house. The meeting took place during July of 1848. During this tea meeting the reformers decided how they would protest and give solutions for Women's Rights. The main idea they came up with was to have a convention at Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls. (57) On the day of the convention, hundreds of people showed up. The reformers were surprised by how much publicity their convention had gotten. This convention lasted a few days consisting of debating back and forth and eventually signing the Declaration of Sentiments. (58) The signing of the Declaration is known at the official start to the women's suffrage movement (Durrett 120). The Declaration of Sentiments was a list of women's grievances. These grievances consisted of allowing women into high end institutions, new professions and women to have the right to keep their retained earnings