Declaration Of Sentiments Summary

The Declaration of Sentiments is a political speech and its style is clear and direct.

It was drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and was presented to American people, participants at a convention in Seneca Falls, New York, on 19-20, 1848.

It was based on the Declaration of Independence, the author’s ambition was to show the wrongs committed against womankind and to demand compensation for those wrongs.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), from New York, married with Henry Brewster Stanton. She was an American suffragist, social activist, abolitionist, leader of the early women’s rights movement.

In 1840, she attended an Anti-Slavery Convention and the experience led her into the struggle for women’s rights.

Elizabeth Cady and Lucrecia Mott met in 1848, they organized with others the first women’s right

convention in Seneca Falls, New York promoting “the social, civil, and religious rights of women “and demanding rights for property and divorce rights, educational and employment opportunities, and the vote.
Before the Civil War, Susan B. Anthony made efforts to improve women’s status in marriage and divorce cases, as well as their liberal stipulations were rejected.
Through the Thirteen Amendment the constitutional abolition of slavery was a successful campaign, on the other hand it was clear that only African American men had the right to vote in the Fifteen Amendment.
The latter group tasted the victory when Wyoming Territory admitted female suffrage in 1869, but of 17 states that considered women’s suffrage between 1870 and 1910 only three approved it.
The demand for woman suffrage, presented a vision of independent women with the aim of threaten social structures.

They were just expressing their sentiments claiming that the actual situation needs a change and to be different from what it has been until now.
They maintained, “That all men and women are created equal”, being gifted by their creator with proper rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
“Prudence, indeed”, is been mentioned, although their thoughts were that when after a long time suffering abuses and usurpations, it is time to get rid of such government and to provide a new one.
Women had patient enough under this government, therefore women demand the equal position to which men are.
Here are some examples of repeated actions and injuries from men against women, and the absolute tyranny over her.
“He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead”.
“He has taken from all right in property, even to the wages she earns”.
To sum up, women were prevented from the vote, her legal status was unimportant, a single woman could own her own property, only if it benefits to the government, a married woman had no control over her property or her children, could not initiate divorce, could not make wills, sign a contract or to go to law without her husband’s permission.
Also attracts my attention, some words such as “God”, “Creator”, what makes me think that Elizabeth Cady believed in God and was a religious person.

Following the Declaration of Sentiments, was a list of resolutions resolving women’s rights in education and professional opportunities, Property rights, Legal equality and also the repeal of laws warding the father custody of the children in divorce and suffrage rights and the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote.
“Woman has too long rested satisfied in the circumscribed limits which corrupt customs and a perverted application of the Scriptures have marked out for her, and that it is time she should move in the enlarged sphere which her great Creator has assigned her”.
Throughout early American history, women were seen as protectors of American ideals such as liberty, freedom and righteousness.
Nevertheless, women did not have equal rights to men, they lacked many legal rights, property rights, votary rights…
The early Women’s Movement claimed equal rights to men, both in law and in the workplace.
The analysis of Human Freedom developed in the Abolitionist movement, was then when Stanton and others built up the public career of modern feminist analysis.
Gradually in time is exposed the development of women’s rights:
Jane Adams, Founds Hull house in 1889
Carrie Nation, Temperance, in 1919, the 20th Amendment is passed and prohibits alcohol.

Susan B. Anthony, Women’s suffrage in 1920, the 19th Amendment is passed.

Finally, Margaret Sanger, Funds the American Birth Control League in 1921.

The Declaration of Sentiments made up the actual state of women’s rights in the United States and pointed out that woman would no longer stand for being treated inequitably.

The women’s rights promoted a position of legal and social equality of women with men, giving them freedom to think and to do.

The Declaration of Sentiments provoked other movements defending and demanding women’s rights, for this reason the speech was decisive in its time.

From then until now we are still fighting for the same cause. Nowadays women earn less money than men, they do not often work in the most prestigious occupation, they are assigned prescribed roles.

The speech has an enormous interest because it is a global issue and it will be a global well-being, if we all, women and men following the same paths within equality, we could end up

successfully.
It was based on the American Declaration of Independence, 4th July 1776, which announced that thirteen American Colonies at war at that moment with the United Kingdom, became thirteen newly independent self-government States and no longer under British Law.
Both texts are genuine, sincere and have a great interest; The Declaration of Sentiments is a heritage of the American Declaration of Independence therefore, I appreciate the parallelism between them referring to the goals both have achieved:
The Women’s Rights and the Independence both changed the course of the US history.