Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Fighting for Women's Rights Essay

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.

The activist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in her essay, “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848” emphasizes the importance of equality between women and men. Stanton’s purpose is to outline the inequality that existed between men and women and make points that will lead to inequalities ending. She adopts a straightforward and factual tone to get her point across without sounding biased or being disrespectful towards anyone who may disagree with her.

Stanton accomplished great things although; she did not actually experience what her accomplishments resulted in. She was an advocate for women’s suffrage and that was her goal. She died before she could see her wish come true, but all her hard work and accomplishments made it happen. Along with her friend and partner Susan B. Anthony, Stanton began her fight for women’s rights in politics after the American Revolution. She organized the first national women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls (Gordon, 2009). This was the first time that the advocates for women’s rights formally organized. At this convention Stanton also co-authored the Declaration of Sentiments which really was the Declaration of Independence for women (Gordon, 2009). These women knew how powerful the original Declaration of Independence was in the US, and they were hoping to do the same. This showed the people who women are in the same situation that the US was with Britain before the revolution. Writing the Declaration was a huge step because without it they couldn’t really illustrate how severe their situation really was. Another accomplishment was the enactment of the married women’s property statute in 1848. Stanton and her followers were determined to see change in the property rights of women. In England, women had no

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a famous woman who led the women’s movement. Also, a writer who wrote none other than the famous work called the Declaration

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.

Lucretia Mott, Martha C. Wright, and Mary Anne McClintock called upon women to join them in fighting for basic rights; Elizabeth Stanton also played a crucial role in this fight. These women were known for meeting and discussing the women’s rights abuses in the United States, however, it was time for them to finally place their resolutions on a declaration for rights that clearly mimics the style of the Declaration of Independence. With the completion of this document, the women appeared at a church to speak against the restrictions. Elizabeth Stanton stood proudly, ready to fight for the rights she deserved at birth

During the late 19th century, women were in a society where man was dominant. Women not having natural born rights, such as the right to vote, to speak in public, access to equal education, and so forth, did not stop them to fight for their rights. Women's lives soon changed when Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony played a prominent role to help bring about change.

In the Declaration of Sentiments, Stanton writes, “That the same amount of virtue, delicacy, and refinement of behavior that is required of women in the social state, should also be required of man…” (DuBois and Dunmeil A-3). Note how Stanton does not state that women should be allowed to be sexually free like men, instead she states that women should keep their high standards, but men should be raised to that standard as well (DuBois 30). Therefore, men should be punished in the same way as women are to be punished. In addition to leveling the plane on morality, Stanton demands that women should have the right to be trailed by a “jury of our own peers” (DuBois 46). By allowing women to be part of the jury in criminal cases, specifically the cases involving women and sex, more men would be held responsible for their actions. In the case of Abson, the jury who found her guilty and let the black man go free was most likely a jury filled with men. Stanton would argue that she was unfairly tried because according to her, “men fails to do justice to women in her best estate,” and that she was not represented in the jury. In her 1854 address to the Legislature of NewYotk, Stanton points out how “no rank of men have ever been satisfied with being tried by jurors higher or lower in the civil or political scale than themselves,” that slaveholders cannot make laws and execute laws for slaves, nor can nobleman do the same for peasants, therefore she states that “neither can man make and execute just laws for women” (DuBois 46). Consequently, if the moral standard were to be raised for men, then women will have to be represented in the jury for criminal cases so men will be held

Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were living very different lives, but during the next decade, how would their lives unfold and how would they come together and fight for what they did (Colman 28)? Anthony wrote, worked and became friends with many people throughout her works. The main person she worked with was Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Weisberg 49). Amelia Bloomer, a friend of Anthony's, introduced her to Stanton, stating that their working technique would go good together (Colman 153). In 1851, Anthony and Stanton met up at a temperance meeting. That is when they began a deep personal friendship, started a bond that would last for the rest of their lives. Anthony and Stanton major campaign for women's-rights issues. The major issues they covered were husband owning everything, women's property rights and the earnings of women went to the husband of the household (Weisberg 54). That moment on Anthony and Stanton would begin working tirelessly not only for the women suffrage movement, but for all equal rights for all sexes, races and religion ("Susan B."). It was a fiery, fearless and brilliant partnership and they both complemented each other's practical skills as a tactician, ideas and possibilities. Anthony together with Stanton mapped out strategy, worked on correspondence, planned lectures, composed speeches and delivered them. At times that Stanton needed time to write, Anthony would come to her house and clean, cook and watch the

This book was written in honor of one of the ladies that some would refer to as a "stepping stone" in the history of women 's rights. Not a stepping stone in which to walk on, but someone that helped create new ways to approach social issues; whether peaceful or not. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, along with many other known women, helped pave the way for women today. Banner proved this many times in the book when she brought situations that arose, how they were handled, and also when she talked about Stanton 's personality. Stanton had a very strong personality that included standing firm on what she believed in, especially equality for women. Banner went on

During the late 19th century, women were in a society where man was dominant. Women did not have natural born rights, such as the right to vote, to speak in public, access to equal education, and so forth, did not stop them to fight for their rights. Women's lives soon changed when Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony played a prominent role to help bring about change.

In 1848 a group of women met at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York and began to formulate a demand for the enfranchisement of American women (Women’s Suffrage, 2011). Elizabeth Cady Stanton composed the Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, stating that “a man should not withhold a woman's rights, take her property or refuse to allow her to vote” (Kelly, 2011, para.3 ). The convention participants spent two days arguing and refining the content of the Declaration of Sentiments, then voted on its contents; the document received support from about one third of the delegates in attendance. The Seneca Falls Convention was not a resounding success, but it “represented an important first step in the evolving campaign for women’s rights” (Tindall & Shi, 2010, p.374, para.1).

Nonetheless, Stanton managed to target her audiences, by assuming herself as almost a philosopher communicating about life and individual human soul, rather than as a feminist (1). Consider that her audience were males and did not form a positive impression on her before she made the speech, Stanton was able to grab her audiences’ attention by turning away from her usual approach to promote women’s suffrage and raising a question about individual rights (Ginzberg 170). The speech was structured in a way that all individuals could relate to the speech, and benefit from reflecting about the question proposed by the speech.

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

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was from a young age considered rebellious in her own way. Born on November 12, 1815, Elizabeth was born into a wealthy family. Her father, Federalist attorney Daniel Cady, was fortunate enough to send Elizabeth to Johnstown Academy, where she would learn the basics of schooling. But the basics were not good enough for Elizabeth. When Elizabeth’s brother passed, it was a difficult time for her father. That is when Elizabeth decided to be the son her father would never have again. This inspired Elizabeth to learn about the law. Elizabeth then attended Emma Willard’s Troy Female Seminary. Stanton was brilliant in her law work, but was unable to follow through with her dreams due to women being banded from the law profession.