Seneca Falls Research Paper

The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was the first spark to women's rights movements in Antebellum America. Without this meeting, life for women today could be entirely different. Rights that seem obligatory to women today, like being able to vote, and occupational diversity for women. Women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Coffin Mott helped to kickstart the innovative ideas produced before and through the convention. The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Seneca Falls was the site of the first women's rights convention in the United States. The meeting took place on July 19-20, 1848.1 On the first day, only women were permitted to speak, and men joined in on the second day.2 The convention was really started by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton was born in Johnstown, New York, to Margaret and Judge Daniel Cady, a noted abolisionist politician. Even as a child, Elizabeth seemed to rebel a bit and question why women weren't treated as fairly as men. Elizabeth married Henry Stanton, keeping her maiden name, Cady, and on their honeymoon, they traveled to the World Anti- Slavery Convention in London, and women were denied their seats, and denied the right to speak at the conference. This only gave Elizabeth more of a reason to fight.3 Stanton was not like most married woman. Once a woman was married, she basically forfeited legal existence.4 Another leader of the convention was Lucretia Coffin Mott. Stanton convinced Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, and Mary Ann McClintock to call the convention and write a draft of the Declaration of Sentiments.5 "On the first day of the convention, nearly 300 participants heard speeches, the Declaration of Sentiments, and 11 resolutions proclaiming the natural equality of all people and declaring illegitimate all laws and social customs that subordinated women."6 On Wednesday morning, James Mott, Lucretia's husband, called the first session to order at 11:00 A.M. Stanton gave many speeches and read The