Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Women's Suffrage

Did Elizabeth Cady Stanton take an effective stand for women’s suffrage? Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, New York. She died on October 26, 1902 in New York, New York. Stanton studied at Johnstown Academy, Troy Female Seminary. Stanton was an early leader of women’s rights movement. She was an activist, feminist, editor and writer. She was committed in the abolitionist movement. She and Susan B. Anthony helped each other to form the world’s first women’s rights convention in 1848, and formed the National Women’s Loyal League in 1863. Elizabeth Stanton became the increasingly marginalized voice among women reformer late in life. Stanton received the best female education at that time at Emma Willard's Academy.

had 10 brothers and sisters, but only one brother. Her only brother died at the age of

When Elizabeth Cady Stanton was in the full swing of fighting for rights I think she was like most of reformers. She was tough and took on a whole lot of issues at a time. During this time period there were a lot of issues going on that women were fighting. The 1800’s saw a lot of change through these women also. Women began to view their own rights as significant and advocated for the realization of these rights. The issues were widespread from education to abolition to woman’s suffrage. Many women’s rights advocates worked closely with the abolitionist cause to secure suffrage for African Americans. African American men were granted the right to vote in 1870 with the passage of the 15th Amendment. However, it was not until 1920 that women

Elizabeth had the opportunity to meet many people at the conference, further fueling her flame. Stanton met Lucretia Mott, a leading American in women’s right movement, at the convention. After talking to Lucretia, Elizabeth started to study the Anglo-American women’s rights (Foner and Garraty). The convention kick started Stanton’s career in women’s rights. The next big movement in Stanton’s career was the Seneca Falls Convention. The Seneca Falls Convention was one of the first conventions for women’s rights. At this convention, Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. This talked about what men were doing wrong and how it should be resolved. Several of the points dealt with marriage and politics (Stanton, “Seneca Falls Convention (1848)”). The Seneca Falls Convention helped show the goals of the movement. Following this, several associations were formed with Stanton leading many of them. In 1869 the National Woman Suffrage Association was formed by Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a friend and partner of Stanton. This association fought for the neutral divorce laws, the right to serve on juries, etc. The American Woman Suffrage Association, focused mainly on voting rights, merged with the other association, with Stanton as President (Smith). Elizabeth was a leading figure for the whole nation. In brief, Stanton started out as just another fighter, but

What started with a small convention for 200 women would lead to an effort that changed history forever. In the 1840’s, the women’s suffrage movement began with a convention in Seneca Falls, New York. For almost 100 years after the event that “launched” the movement, supporters of women’s suffrage worked hard to diffuse ideas, educate, and fight for their right to vote. Under the leadership of many strong, influential women, the movement to advocate for women’s suffrage set forth. From the time the United States gained its independence, the ideals of democracy and voting have been core values. Before the nineteenth amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote, only half of the population was being represented. Women were expected

The 19th Amendment guarantees any woman the right to vote in a political election. Prior to August 18, 1920, this amendment did not exist. This was a very powerful boundary for women to overcome, as it took decades of unrest. Beginning in the mid-1800s “suffragettes,” otherwise known as women who wanted to right to vote in elections, began protesting, lobbying, and attending rallies. Many American citizens found that this was scandalous, unladylike, and a radical challenge to the constitution.

He had no means of supporting his family. Henry Brewster Stanton was a journalist and an antislavery orator Elizabeth met him during an involvement for temperance and abolition movement. In their vows they omitting the words “promise to obey” at Elizabeth’s request she said the reason for omitting is "I obstinately refused to obey one with whom I supposed I was entering into an equal relation. " They went on a European honeymoon which include the Anti-Slavery Convention in London spring of 1840. Elizabeth decided to keep her maiden name instead of taking her husband’s name which was unusual at the time. After the honeymoon the couple moved into Cady house in Johnstown then Henry began to study law under Judge Cady. The Stanton couple had seven children between 1842 and 1859. They moved back to Boston in 1843 were Henry began to practice law. The Stanton children are: Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch; Theodore Weld Stanton; Robert Livingstone Stanton; Daniel Cady Stanton; Gerritt Smith Stanton; Margaret Livingstone Stanton Lawrence and Henry Brewster Stanton Jr. The Stanton couple had five sons and two daughters. When they finally settled Elizabeth focused on being a mother and wife and Henry traveled doing speaking engagements. When the Stanton couple went on their honeymoon they attended a convention in which the talked about American women rights movement that were they met delegate Lucretia Mott. Mott and the Grimkés sisters, she confronted religious questions as well as themes of women's

“There will never be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers,” Anthony said this in 1897 (Documented). This quote shows how strongly Anthony feels about women’s suffrage, because she knows that it is her basic human right to be able to vote. Susan B. Anthony’s involvement in civil disobedience was due to personal influence, she chose to participate in civil disobedience to protest for women’s suffrage, and she did make a difference in the cause of women’s suffrage but never seen the day that women got the right to vote. Civil Disobedience is when you break a law to protest for something you believe in (Suber). People use civil disobedience because they believe it is a nonviolent way yo get a point across

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.

Anthony. Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 and was raised in a Quaker household. Before becoming a pivotal figure in the Women’s Suffrage Movement, Anthony was a teacher at the Canajoharie School (Ginzberg 22). In 1851, she was introduced by a mutual friend to Susan B. Anthony, who was most active in the temperance movement at the time. The two would form a life-long friendship and collaboration. Stanton and Anthony had clearly defined goals for the Women’s Suffrage Movement. One of the main goals was procuring the right to vote for women. Stanton was passionate about the fact that in order for any real change to take place in the treatment of women in the United States; they needed to be able to vote. Her reason being that men could not properly represent women effectively, especially since a lot of the time their interests collided. Some issues where the two gender’s issues may collide were property rights and child custody (Ward 51). Unfortunately, many men during the time voted and passed laws with only themselves in mind. This was before the Civil War took place, however after the Civil War Stanton focused more on the fact that women and men needed each other and that a man needed a women’s view to complement his own (Ward 54). She made it clear that a good society took into consideration the view points of not only the men, but also women. Stanton was expressing her opinion about the current

In the early 1870s “Women demanded that the boundaries of America democracy be expanded to include them as well” . Elizabeth Cady Stanton wanted the idea of equality to be extended into women’s private home life with their family. She wanted the control that men had over their wives to end. Men were already upset that women had equality in the state and the church, they were not ready to recognize equality in the home. Because men were always taught to have higher authority, they believed that they hold the power under any system. Giving women freedom in the household would make them feel less in control.

(Hannam 296) During the Anti-Slavery Movement, she had valuable experience in public speaking and running poilitical organizations through her work in the abolishionist movement. (298 ) in the process women were generally discouraged from taking active part in public life and expected to join women only groups in support of male organizations (ibid) While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known for her long contribution to the woman suffrage struggle, without her struggles these issues wouldnt have been effective in winning property rights for married women, equal guardianship of children, and liberalized divorce laws. These reforms made it possible for women to leave marriages that were abusive of the wife, the children, and the economic health of the family.

All through American history women have frequently asked and ordered the right to vote. Roughly, they were prohibited. One of the first recorded noting of the request for women’s voting advantages were from Abigail Adams, who was the first lady of the second president. She asked her spouse in a letter to not ignore the right to vote for women. She primarily said that if women cannot vote, then they would not have a reason to pursue the new legislation acts.

Judge Cady wanted his daughters to marry men that became familiar with the law, but instead she married secretly Henry Stanton a social reformer in 1840; also went into law to get along with his wife’s parents. They had 7 children in total, 2 girls and 5 boys (Salisbury). Shortly, the Stanton’s traveled to London for an Anti-Slavery Convention and talked more about the participation of women which was denied by the council; Henry Stanton made a huge speech to let women contribute in the meeting but he voted not to let women get involved. Elizabeth met Lucretia Mott and promised to “form a society to advocate the rights of woman” (Salisbury). The Stanton’s moved to Massachusetts and there were more social, cultural, political opportunities (Salisbury). Therefore in every aspect she did, Stanton will do it with pride. For example housekeeping, cooking also any other jobs a woman

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.