Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton
by Allison


Susan B. Anthony worked on many speeches with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Elizabeth did most of the writing.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, New York on November 22, 1815. In 1832, she graduated from the Troy Female Seminary at the age of 17. During the mid 1830's she became interested in women's rights and abolition. In 1840, when she was 25 years old, she married an abolitionist leader named Henry Stanton, now he owned all her clothes, jewelry, wedding gifts etc. That same year, Henry and Elizabeth went to London for the World Anti-Slavery Convention. When they got to the convention Elizabeth found out that she could not speak at the convention because she was a woman. That made Elizabeth furious. During the meeting Elizabeth and Lucretia Mott met. They talked about women's rights and how women could not speak during the meeting.

When the Stantons got back to America, Elizabeth decided to write something. She decided she would write a declaration similar to the Declaration of Independence (that declared freedom for the colonies from Great Britain). She called her declaration the Declaration of Sentiments or the Declaration of Women's Rights. When Elizabeth put in the part about women voting, everyone, even Lucretia Mott, thought she was out of her mind about it. They thought she would change her mind about writing about women voting, but nothing could change her mind. Her mind was set. Almost everyone in Seneca Falls, New York knew about Elizabeth, the Declaration of Sentiments and the though of allowing women to vote. They thought it was astonishing to have anybody even think of the idea of having women vote, let alone put it in a declaration. Even when people made fun of it, Elizabeth kept her writing the same. People thought women should not have the right to vote because women did not know enough about the government. Women would not vote correctly.

On July 19th, 1848, Elizabeth shared her declaration at the first Women's Right's Convention in the nation which she helped organize. The convention was held at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York which was very convenient since Elizabeth lived in Seneca Falls at the time. At least 300 people attended the convention, more women than men. One hundred people, 68 women and 32 men, signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Susan B. Anthony did not sign because she did not attend. She did not attend because she was too far away too come, as she was in Canajoharie, New York at the time. Frederick Douglas, Amy Post and Lucretia Mott did attend, and they did sign.

For a few years between 1863 and 1870, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony had published a newspaper mainly about women's rights and anti-slavery issues. Elizabeth did most of the writing for the newspaper because she was very confident about her writing. Susan B. Anthony did most of the interviewing and speaking since she could travel more. Susan could travel more since she had no husband or children. Elizabeth could not travel so far and as much since she had a husband and children to look after. Her children were very mischievous. One thing Elizabeth did not like about staying home was she had to do so much housework and her husband Henry was almost always away so she sometimes had to do his work, too. Elizabeth hated housework, especially with wearing so many layers of clothing, being barely able to move. It was the style to wear many layers of clothing sometimes weighing more than 15 pounds, and in the summer time it was really hot and uncomfortable.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton died in 1902, at the age of 87. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified. This amendment stated that women could vote -- eighteen years after Elizabeth Cady Stanton died and 72 years after the first Women’s Rights Convention.

Related Links:
Lucretia Mott
Susan B. Anthony
Wesleyan Chapel

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