Women's Rights

The women’s rights movement was formed around 1840 during the antebellum period. Many women sought equal rights in their personal lives, economics, and politics. It branched off of other reforms and became one of the most important of them all. Women who were part of the women’s rights movement were first part of other reforms such as abolition, the temperance movement, and the religious revival. But they realized that they couldn’t change other things if they had no power. Many women soon realized that in order to have effect in other movements and in life in general, they first needed to gain rights among women as a whole. It became necessary to gain rights among the women if they were going to change anything else in society. Although at this point some may regard this movement as a failure because women did not end up with the right to vote, it certainly sparked the idea of women gaining ranks in our country. Although women did not gain voting rights, women still made a substantial amount of progress in bettering American society.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony

Causes for Women’s Movement in 1840’s

  • No schools for girls
  • No right to vote
  • Kept out of political discussions about war and politics in general
  • Involved in other reforms but still had limited power
  • No right to own property
  • Lower wages than men
  • Needed husbands permission to make decisions
  • Men believed "excellence could be achieved only in a public male-only arena."
  • No employment other than teaching or writing

Goals of Women’s Movement in 1840’s

  • Education for girls
  • Right to vote
  • Religious leadership/power
  • Equal wages
  • Right to own or operate property
  • Right to divorce, especially from an abusive husband
  • Right to the custody of their children after divorce

Seneca Falls Convention

  • The idea for the convention began in London England between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. While they were attending the World Anti-Slavery Society
  • Women were denied the opportunity to speak and this inspired discussion between the two women about unequal treatment, which they found occurred in many ways
  • They decided they needed a convention for women to secure equal rights
  • This convention took place on July 19, 1848 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Seneca Falls, New York
  • 260 women and 40 men in attendance
  • Was the first national women’s rights convention
  • On the first day Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions( modeled after the declaration of independence)
  • The meeting convinced other women to stand up for their rights and served as a catalyst to women's rights movement
  • Debate was the basis of the convention, it was widely accepted by both men and women that they are created equal and should have the same "inalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"
  • The biggest concern was whether or not women should fight for the right to vote
  • Other concerns were the right to preach, to teach, and be educated
  • Many people in attendance believed it was too radical of an idea
  • Mott was willing to discard the idea while Stanton wanted to stand her ground
  • 100 women signed the final document, and every right listed was granted, except the right to vote