Rhetorical Analysis Of E. Cady Stanton's Declaration Of Independence

Rhetorical Analysis of the “Declaration of Independence”. In” the Declaration of Independence” written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776, the authors goal is to officially declare to the colonies and the rest of the world about the colony's independence from the British empire. The author uses both persuasive and political proposals to get his point across, using credibility to describe to his audience why the colonies need to dissolve ties with Britain by naming the rights of the people to choose their own government and just how Britain neglected those rights. The author starts off by describing natural rights, Jefferson.

In 1607, Englishmen settled in Jamestown, Virginia, creating the first permanent English settlement in North America. Over a century later, after thirteen strong colonies had been established, the monarchy of Great Britain was still dictating colonial actions. Finally, in 1776, delegates met at the Second Continental Congress and adopted the Declaration of Independence. Although the engrossed copy of the document was supposedly a unanimous decision, Thomas Jefferson was hesitant about signing it. This was because he was the author of the first draft and did not agree with the new wording and diction. Slight changes in word choice and order contributed to the shift in tone and meaning because they caused the first draft to sound more harsh

The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was a major organization responsible for several courageous efforts in the promotion of women’s rights, notably the movement to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920. Elizabeth Cady Stanton served as the first president of the NAWSA and a significant figure of the feminist movement. At the Women’s Rights Convention in 1848 Stanton delivered her momentous resignation speech entitled “The Solitude of Self.” Addressing her audience, Stanton delivers an inspiring and rhetorically eloquent speech. She uses metaphors and logical interpretation to provide her audience with the knowledge and understanding of true equality. The following essay details the effective attributes and distinct style

Stanton’s most memorable convention was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 where one hundred men and women gathered for the historic convention. There she introduced her manifesto, the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, which proclaimed that men and women are equal and women need more protection under the law. The document also called for expansion of employment and educational opportunities along with the right to vote for women. Stanton’s manifesto was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence, The press was not fond with the Seneca Falls Convention and complained that all the women that attended were sour maids and childless women. Although the media did not approve of her remarkable meeting, it brought attention to the women’s rights movement on the political standpoint. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton

In 1850, a suffrage leader stated, “The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flows into our soul” (Stanton). Equality between men and women was not present in the 1800’s. On June 1848, women’s suffrage was being noticed and the Seneca Falls Convention occurred. Elizabeth Cady Stanton alongside with Lucretia Mott started the convention to begin the seventy year struggle to have the right to vote. Elizabeth known from a young age that women’s rights was unfair and immoral. Elizabeth’s life was full of accomplishments that impacted history several ways. Elizabeth

At the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, many men and women gathered to discuss women’s rights, or lack thereof. The abolition of slavery had not yet occurred in the United States, but some women saw more important matters at hand: their position in society. Five women headed the organization of this convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, over two July days. This group included a woman by the name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who delivered multiple presentations during the convention, including one keynote address that demanded freedom and political representation for women. Stanton made it known in this address that she did not expect the women’s rights movement to have an overwhelming level of acceptance, but also that she did not care,

Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought tirelessly against inequality between men and women, an issue that still plagues this nation. From her first address to her last, Elizabeth was the voice of the women’s rights movement. She lectured across the nation and publically debated the unjust laws of her day (“Elizabeth Cady Stanton…”). Two of her more prominent and potent speeches were “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” and “Solitude of Self”. These speeches served as her introduction and adieu as an overt promoter of women’s rights (“The Women’s Rights…”) (Hogan). Though Stanton gave both her “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” and “Solitude of Self” in support of women’s rights, due to the differing audiences addressed, the speeches vary in structure, overall message, appeal, and use of rhetorical devices.

The roles of women in society have changed a lot since the 1800’s. While in the 1800’s women were viewed as housewives, now it is more common to see something such as single working mothers or a household where the wife is the primary “bread winner”. Today’s women have been provided with the opportunity to get educated, started joining the workforce, and even gained the right to vote. Gaining these rights was not an easy task and it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get them. Even though women have been given these opportunities, women’s rights is still a big and controversial topic in today’s society.

On July 19,1848, in front of 300 women and 40 men, Elizabeth Cady Stanton delivered a speech on women’s rights; Proclaiming “Among the many questions which have been brought before the public, there is none that more vitally effects the whole human family than that which is technically termed Woman’s rights” (par.3). In her speech Stanton accurately displays her distinctive ability to influence public opinion by appropriating ideas from the Bible, establishing her credibility, appealing to the audience’s logic, and invoking the emotional aspects of women’s suffrage in this era.

In 1848, a Woman’s Rights Convection was held at Seneca Falls, to discuss the need for an equal social status between men and women. The declaration written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton stated, “Resolved, That inasmuch as man, while claiming for himself intellectual superiority, does accord to woman moral superiority, it is pre-eminently his duty to encourage her to speak, and teach, as she has an opportunity, in all religious assemblies”. The document stated many lines that demanded the need for equal rights amongst women. The convention was the first real step of progress in equality for women. The women were able to voice their opinions for all women and show their courage and power against men.

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).

During the nineteenth century, Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized The Seneca Falls Convention that was the first of many women’s right movements to discuss the injustice of women in society. Throughout the convention, Stanton created the Declaration of Sentiments that demanded equality for women in society. The Seneca Falls Convention made an enormous impact on the start of the suffrage movement. Gender inequality in the workforce has been a frequent issue for women. The feminist movement has accomplished many goals, but despite the advances, women still face various obstacles. The feminist movement has not achieved equality in the workforce because of discrimination that tends to affect women’s income; societal views that make women liable for not advancing; and further responsibilities, such as upholding a work-life balance.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, explains to his readers why the colonies chose to abolish Great Britain’s government. His goal is to inform the readers that the government has certain responsibilities to the governed and that the British failed to adhere to its responsibilities to its colonists. His second goal is to justify their actions by explaining why it was not considered treason. By establishing his credibility and appealing to ethos, pathos and logos, Jefferson successfully wrote an informative, impactful, and inspirational document.

In 1848 Stanton organized a Convention at the Seneca Falls, New York to create a Declaration of Sentiments that focused on important issues for women of the time. The Declaration of Sentiments demanded equal rights for women. It primarily focused on women’s voting rights, the right to divorce, property rights, equal education, and recognition under the law for women. Stanton was a firm believer that women were equal to men and deserved equal political rights. Many people believe that the convention at Seneca Falls was a pivotal moment for women’s right in America.

Women and men born in todays generation do not fully understand the struggle that woman had to sustain in the 1800s in order to gain the basic American civil right, which was to vote and obtaining equal rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and other leaders such as Susan B. Anthony are important figures that impacted the way women are seen in the world to this day. They initiated and organized the first woman’s rights and woman’s suffrage movement in the U.S. Stanton held what was called the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 in NY, which became a major key point in the fight for woman’s rights. This long journey started with the creation of Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments, which was based off the context of the American Declaration of Independence. As stated in the article by Judith Wellman, 68 women declared “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”(1). The sentiments consisted of demands of equality with men before the law, in both employment and education. This convention came to be considered the most prominent event that began the woman 's rights movement even though no one knows exactly who started it. These women who came together through conventions, petitions, public speeches and meetings took stand and created a better