Lucretia Mott's Legacy

First and foremost, the fight for women’s rights is something that has occurred throughout time not only in the United States, but in every part of the world. When it comes to the United States, one cannot deny that it was an important historical event. “The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States had occupied better part of a century” (Source 1). Truly a struggle, for it was not acknowledged by men in the past, primarily white man who had full rights in the nation. Susan B. Anthony was an important leading figure of the Suffrage Movement and contributed to the Suffrage Movement.

She was a well respected woman that many thought was going to lead woman in the fight for equal rights.

In the new politic system of the United States the women’s rights were coming to surface. In the reshaping of the government system and the advances that the country was having, the status of the women were as well changing from 1850-1846. Some women had the opportunity for education and other had more participation in religion. For instance, Women played an increasing role in public education during the reform era. Catharine Beecher, a sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, encouraged women to enter the teaching profession because their natural role suited them to the care and nurturing of children. Women were very active during the reform of humanitarian reforms they were more active than ever. For instance, the spirit of reform was prevalent in the field of women's rights. Many women played a central role in a wide range of historical moral crusades. This reform was the beginning for the movement of women’s rights; they did not totally include all the women’s right but surely was the set point for women to be considered. Not only women participate for their women right but as well they participate in politics with the issue of anti-slavery. For instance, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two female delegates to the World Anti-Slavery Convention held at London in 1840. Even

Women have always been fighting for their rights for voting, the right to have an abortion, equal pay as men, being able to joined the armed forces just to name a few. The most notable women’s rights movement was headed in Seneca Falls, New York. The movement came to be known as the Seneca Falls convention and it was lead by women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton during July 19th and 20th in 1848. Stanton created this convention in New York because of a visit from Lucretia Mott from Boston. Mott was a Quaker who was an excellent public speaker, abolitionist and social reformer. She was a proponent of women’s rights. The meeting lasted for only two days and was compiled of six sessions, which included lectures on law, humorous

One women activist was Susan Brownell Anthony who was born February 15, 1820 in South Adams, Massachusetts (“Susan B. Anthony”). Susan B. Anthony was a great woman who was determined to change women’s rights. For example, there is a quote that states, “Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to the cause, the woman Suffrage Movement” (qtd. in “Susan Brownell Anthony”). Through Susan’s life

In America the citizens defended women's rights. For example in 1820 on February 15, Susan B. Anthony was born. In 1852, she dedicated her life to women's suffrage and led the women's right movement. While she was fighting for women's rights she ignored all of the opposition and the abuse she was getting because she was standing up for what's right. She also campaigned for the abomination of slavery. In 1900 she finally persuaded the university of rochester to admit women. “I declare to you that women must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself and there i take my stand.” - Susan B. Anthony. She died in 1906 on March 13. On September 4, 1981. Also Beyonce Giselle Knowles-carter also known as Beyonce became

With Seneca Falls, 1848, the movement began in earnest. Early suffragists often had ties to the abolitionist movement. (Lecture 18) With the Civil War era, suffragists split over voting rights for black men. There was a need for regrouping and rethinking in the face of a reconstructed nation because there was a push for black men to get the right to vote. There were Women’s Rights conventions every year up until the Civil War, and in 1851, a resolution that “resolved, the proper sphere, for all human beings is the largest and highest for which they are able to obtain”. (Lecture 24) This captures the true essence of both the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Abolitionist Movement. Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were Abolitionists and a majority of suffragettes were as well as well as involvement with the temperance movement. (Ibid) The question was raised, should women keep advocating for women’s rights or do they need to support the war? This resulted in the pause between 1861-1865 when there was not a women’s convention for the first time. Women were deeply involved with the Union cause and were vital to upholding society and keeping stores in business by serving as “deputy husbands”. (Ibid) Women also had a direct role serving in the war, some served as nurses in addition to some fighting for the cause. Sarah Edmunds Seelye was one of the few who fought under a man’s name, she served under Franklin Thompson for the 2nd Michigan Infantry until she deserted due to

Lucretia Mott was another woman who contributed in the women’s right movement. She was born on January 3, 1793, in Nantucket, Massachusetts. She was a women’s rights activist, abolitionist, and a religious reformer. Lucretia Mott worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to create the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, to convince people to join for the cause. Even after the things she fought for became reality, she would strive to make the society better than how it

Today, women and minorities have a wide variety of professions they can pursue; but it was not always that way. Before the Civil Rights Movement, women and minorities, especially black people, were bounded to a stereotypical or subservient role in society without the right to voice their opinions. Some, however, did take a stand to fight for equal rights against all odds. These people were called Civil Rights activists and many became leaders. Among the many famous pioneers such as Martin, Malcolm, and Angela, was a woman of great pride and honor – Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm was a civil rights leader who championed the causes of equal rights and fair treatment for both women and minorities through her determination, community involvement, and

Lucretia Mott was born in January of 1793 and died in November of 1880. During her 87 years on the Earth, she did everything that she could in order to demand change and social reform in societal programs in which she did not believe. She was born a Quaker, also known as the Society of Friends, a religious group which believed in relative equality and in nonviolence. In the period in which she was born and raised, women were supposed to be seen and not heard. They were to be subservient to men in all things, including the home and the work force, if indeed the woman were allowed to work at all. Yet Mott, nee Coffin, refused to let society marginalize her and demanded equality. Certain rights, she believed, were inalienable and should not be denied because of either gender or racial differences. She worked for abolition, for women's rights, and many other branches of social reform.

In attempt to be able to change laws and allowing the married women to own their own property, Stanton gave some public speeches and had spoken to members of the New York Legislature. The Women’s rights convention was on july 19th-20th and was located in Seneca Falls, New York (Adams, Page 17). At Least 40 of the 300 people that had attended this, were none other than men (Adams, Page 17). One of those men was Frederick Douglas, Douglas was a former slave and an abolitionist. He was with the argument to give women the rights that they needed. He had stated that “without women, they would have no way of protecting their rights or to make changes in the laws (Adams, Page 17).” Sixty-eight women and thirty-two men had signed the declaration at the end of the convention (Adams, Page 17). Susan B. Anthony kept the women’s movement moving the right direction. Anthony also went around the country giving speeches that were written by Stanton. She was a very dedicated person when it came to problems like this.

Through this partnership, Stanton achieved many great things throughout her life, her utmost being that she held the first Woman’s Rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. During this time she wrote “The Declaration of Sentiments,” calling for changes in law and society in areas such as education and politics. Her relentless campaigning, pressuring Congress to

(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.

Mott was raised in a Quaker community just like Anthony was. She helped form the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and was the president of the society. Mott boycotted all products of slave labor. When she went to attend the World Anti-Slavery convention in London, she was denied a seat because of her gender. When she was denied a seat, she stood outside of the hall where the convention was being held and preached her doctrine of female equality. When she spent a lot of time in London, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who also believed in fighting for women’s rights. The two became good friends almost instantly. Mott was officially known as a feminist when she argued for equal pay and voting rights. In the summer of 1848, both Stanton and Mott organized a meeting at Seneca Falls, New York where the American Women’s Right Movement was launched. Shortly after, Mott was elected president in 1852. In 1864, she contributed in the establishment of Swarthmore College. As she got older, she served as the head of the American Equal Rights Association. Mott worked hard for everything she did just as Stanton and Anthony had

(Goldfield, 338) Since the cult of domesticity was making women inferior to men, women decided to do as the slaves did and fight for their own freedom. The women’s rights movement began in the mid-1800s. Female and male abolitionist found it necessary that women should be able to have the same rights as men. Just because biologically they are different, it does not mean they do not deserve the same rights. Women were denied the right to vote, property and a right to an education or job. (Goldfield, 338) At first the women’s movement was slow. Many women were afraid to speak out in fear of being shunned by their community. This was a brand new scary task that Women for the first time were going to deal with. A women speaking out against the norms of society was seen as a terrible thing to do. When you have many women speaking out for the same thing a change must be done. When the first national convention for women’s rights was called in Seneca Falls, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were able to successfully use the Declaration of Independence as a model for their own Declaration of Sentiments. (Goldfield, 339) In their Declaration they branded that “male patriarchy as the source of women’s oppression” (Goldfield, 339) Stanton and Mott called for full women’s rights and to become independent citizens. Although the fight for women’s rights was always an important issue, most abolitionists deemed it less important