"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
~ Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, Seneca Falls, NY 1848
~ Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, Seneca Falls, NY 1848
Lyrics
"Life, strife -- these two are one,
Naught can ye win but by faith and daring
On, on -- that ye have done.
But for the work of to-day preparing.
Firm in reliance, laugh at defiance,
(Laugh in hope, for sure is the end)
March, march -- many as one,
Shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend."
Naught can ye win but by faith and daring
On, on -- that ye have done.
But for the work of to-day preparing.
Firm in reliance, laugh at defiance,
(Laugh in hope, for sure is the end)
March, march -- many as one,
Shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend."
The Convention set in motion the American women's rights and suffrage movement. Without this, American women today might be in the same position they were in two hundred years ago. Although the Seneca Falls Convention was only a small gathering, its legacy of women's suffrage and equality is vast.
Sam Bennett Audio Interview:
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Kim Gandy Interview:
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 Hillary Clinton, a successful female politician |
"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
~ Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, Seneca Falls, NY 1848 |
It took roughly seventy years, but in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, granting women's suffrage. The women's rights movement revolutionized American views of women. Today, American women can be comedians, political figures, scientists, or even CEOs. Women are in general no longer viewed as biologically inferior to men, and have equal legal status. All of these advancements would have been impossible without the women's rights movement and Seneca Falls.
 Elizabeth Cady Stanton Bust |
 Drawing by Nina Allen showing women placing a star on the flag each time a state ratified the Nineteenth Amendment. |
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Women have yet to achieve true social and economic equality with men in America. Problems with pay differences, other forms of sexism, and reproductive rights issues continue today. Yet the pioneering legacy of the Seneca Falls Convention is surely ready to deal with these challenges.
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 Cartoon depicting the supposed equality between men and women |
"I see a brighter, happier day yet to come; but Woman must say how soon the dawn shall be, and whether the light shall first shine in the East or the West. By her own efforts the change must come. She must carve out her future destiny with her own right hand."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton