Women’s Rights & Seneca Falls

1. Women’s Rights & Seneca Falls By Lindsay Morris & Taylor Mills

2. Women’s History- Beginning From 1776 to around 1783, women began to lose the right to vote. This began in New York and spread to Massachusetts as well as New Hampshire. It was in 1887 that women in all states except New Jersey lost the right to vote. Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of Vindication of the Rights of Women, published her works in England around 1792. Mary was the first great novelist addressing women’s rights. Finally, New Jersey bands women’s rights in 1807. They are the last state to revoke these rights.

3. Women’s History- Beginning During the 1830’s, the first female anti-slavery group was formed. In 1836, a southern woman, Angelina Grimke spoke out against slavery. A law in 1837 was past against women speaking in public against slavery. It was mostly directed against the Grimke sisters. In 1840, there was a World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Women weren’t able to participate because they were women.

4. Women Begin to Organize For Their Own Rights After the Anti-Slavery convention in London, a woman named LucretiaMott was inspired to make a difference in the women’s rights community. Lucretia Mott met Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the convention and talked a lot about women’s rights and potentially organizing a women’s rights movement. Eight years after the Anti-Slavery convention in London, Mott and Stanton’s formed an organized women’s rights movement.

5. Women Begin to Organize For Their Own Rights First Women’s Rights convention was in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Over 300 men and women came to Seneca Falls to protest the mistreatment of women in social, political, economic, and religious life. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions issued by the Convention which addressed the "injuries” men inflicted upon women. Declaration contained resolutions saying that man should not withhold a woman’s rights.

6. Abolitionists Abolitionist- (noun) A person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution, esp. capital punishment or (formerly) slavery. Ex. Susan B. Anthony

7. Susan B. Anthony Born on February 15, 1820, and died on March 13, 1906. Abolitionist, Educational Reformer, Labor Activist, Temperance Worker, Suffragist, and Women’s Rights Campaigner. In 1852 she joined the Women’s Rights movement. Susan B. Anthony even persuaded the University of Rochester to admit women.

8. Susan B. Anthony In 1863 she organized a petition to outlaw slavery. She continued to fight for all equal rights. This includes slavery, women’s rights, and more. She attacked lynchings and racial prejudice in the Rochester newspapers in the 1890’s. Anthony spent over fifty years fighting for women’s rights.

9. Susan B. Anthony In 1872 Susan B. Anthony dropped her vote in a ballot box and when she was accuse she stated, “I have been resolved for three years to vote at the first election when I had been home for thirty days before.” New York Law required legal voters to reside for thirty days prior to the election in the district where they offered their vote. On November 5th Anthony and seven other women passed their ballets. As a result, she got arrested. Later that day, Anthony wrote about her accomplishment to her close friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

10. End of the 19th century Because of these activist and abolitionist actions, it jump started American women to become involved in gaining more rights. Susan B. Anthony inspired many to make a difference and contribute in the women activist community.

11. Discussion questions How was the Seneca Falls convention beneficial to the women’s rights activist’s community? Do you think it was worth it for these women to go against the “normal” standard of men being superior? Did Susan B. Anthony have a right to do what she did?