"That is just what I wanted. Imagine the publicity given to our ideas. It will start women thinking, and men too; and when men and women think about a new question, the first step in progress is taken."
~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton, writing to Lucretia Mott
~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton, writing to Lucretia Mott
Reaction
 Cartoon depicting the despicable position of women |
Reactions to the Convention defined its legacy. Some people reacted positively to it. However, most Americans disparaged it. Even most women felt that the Convention was ridiculous. Though mocking, massive publicity from newspapers helped the Convention. The press spread women's rights ideas across America, magnifying the Convention's influence.
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"... a local reporter wrote it up as a humorous item and before long it became a national joke. Readers chuckled over the wit and ridicule editors were able to poke at the notion of a woman's Declaration of Independence. The demand for the right to vote made news, even if only as something for men to laugh about."
-Bill Severn in Free but Not Equal: How Women Won the Right to Vote
-Bill Severn in Free but Not Equal: How Women Won the Right to Vote