The Seneca Falls Convention

Introduction

• The Seneca Falls Convention (1848) was the first women's rights convention in the United States.
• Marked the beginning of a long struggle for gender equality.
• The story began with a tea party.

19th Century Gender Roles

• Men dominated the public sphere: working, voting, participating in politics.
• Women were confined to domestic roles: cooking, cleaning, raising children.
• Women faced restrictions on voting, property ownership, and income control.

Key Figures

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton
  • A homemaker in Seneca Falls, New York.
  • Came from a progressive family; well-educated.
  • Felt limited by her role as a wife and mother.
  • Connected with local Quaker women who valued equality and activism.
• Lucretia Mott
  • Quaker activist met Stanton at an anti-slavery convention.
  • Denied entry to the London convention due to gender.

Origins of the Convention

• Stanton and Mott's discussions at a tea party highlighted gender inequities.
• Decided to organize a gathering focused on women's rights.
• The Seneca Falls Convention was held on July 19-20, 1848.
• Over 300 people attended, including Frederick Douglass.

Declaration of Sentiments

• Drafted by Stanton, modeled after the Declaration of Independence.
• Asserted that "all men and women are created equal."
• Highlighted rights denied to women: education, property, child custody, and voting.

Resolutions and Reaction

• Twelve resolutions passed, signed by 68 women and 32 men.
• Convention was mocked by newspapers; faced backlash and ridicule.
• Some signers withdrew due to public shaming.

Impact and Legacy

• Despite negative press, the movement gained momentum.
• Stanton and others dedicated themselves to the fight for equal rights.
• A second larger convention was held in Rochester.
• The Declaration of Sentiments gained additional support.
• Considered the birth of the women's rights movement.
• The demand for women's suffrage grew, leading to the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Conclusion

• The Seneca Falls Convention was pivotal in the women's suffrage movement.
• It laid the groundwork for decades of activism and the eventual granting of voting rights to women.