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The Declaration Of Independence And The Declaration Of Independence

Decent Essays

2- The Declaration of Sentiments, drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, demanded equality with men before the law, in education and employment. The Declaration of Sentiments was based on the Declaration of Independence, and the documents were quite similar in several ways. However, we can definitely notice significant aspects of the Declaration of Sentiments that differ from the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Sentiments followed the same style and wording as the Declaration of Independence. For instance, Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal.” Stanton edited this same sentence and added to state that “all men and women are created equal”. Moreover, the Declaration of Independence outlines the “patient sufferance of the colonies”, while the Declaration of Sentiments outlines the “patient sufferance of women under this government.” Plus, the Declaration of Independence aims its grievances at the King George III of England and addresses him by saying for example, that “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice”. The Declaration of Sentiments uses this same style of writing, however, instead of the King, it addresses male oppressors. To explain clearly, every time the word “he” is used in the Declaration of Sentiments, it refers to the male oppressors.

The Declaration of Independence was concerned with political freedom, while the Declaration of Sentiments was concerned with the idea of marital freedom. In the Declaration of Sentiments, the husband is described as the woman’s master in the quote “the law giving him power to deprive her of liberty”. Plus, women also didn’t have control over her finances as “He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns”. Stanton wanted to portray marital equivalence as a basic American freedom. She wanted to promote the married woman’s right to divorce and have custody of her children. This is as she pointed out in the Declaration of Sentiments that “He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes of divorce; in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given; as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women—the law, in all

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