The mostinfluential women of the Women's Rights Movement

It would be ridiculous to talk of male and female atmospheres, male and female springs or rains, male and female sunshine . . . . how much more ridiculous is it in relation to mind, to soul, to thought, where there is as undeniably no such thing as sex, to talk of male and female education and of male and female schools. -Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

The Women's rights movement focused primarily around political, social and economic status of women and the discrimination on the basis of sex [1]. Women's rights activists have worked towards this for more than two centuries.

The first position women took on Women's rights in the United States occurred in 1848 under the direction of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and three other women at the Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York [1]. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the most influential women during this time as she was an advocate and activist for women's rights.

The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 produced the demand for Women's suffrage in the United States and after the American Civil War campaigning for the cause become more prominent

Shortly thereafter, in 1850, the National Women's Rights Convention was held, combining both male and female leadership. The convention raised awareness on such issues as equal wages, expanded education and career opportunities, women's property rights, marriage reform and temperance [1]. Perhaps the most important topic discussed during the conventions was the passage of laws that would give women suffrage. Eventually the National Women's rights Convention would become an annual series of meetings. Both Groups, the Women's rights Convention at Seneca Falls and the National Women's rights Convention came together and created the Women's National Loyal League  under the leadership of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

The organization was created to support and petition for the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery. They even went on to campaign for Black and women's full citizenship, including the right to vote (in the 14th and 15th amendment), but were dissapointed when women were not included [1].

In 1853 Anthony began to campaign for women's property rights; speaking at meetings, collection signatures for petitions, and lobbying the state legislature [2].

In 1856, Anthony and Stanton became an agent for American Anti-Slavery Society where they arranged meetings, made speeches, put up posters and distributed leaflets [2]. Anthony continued to campaign for equal rights for all American citizens throughout her life. It is hard to believe that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton never gave up on what they believed in. It makes me pround to be a women living in the 21st century. I think it is important to reflect upon the strong and couragous women that fought for our rights so many years ago.

In 1866, Anthony and Stanton founded the American Equal Rights Association and in 1868 they started publishing a newspaper, The Revolution [2] which allowed them to have a voice. This for me, was a very important and proud milestone.

In 1969 the suffrage movement split, but Anthony and Stanton's National Association continued to campaign for a constitutional amendment [2]. It was their relentless campaigning for women's suffrage that led to the arrest of Anthony and her three sisters.

That didn't stop her from continuing to be an advocate for women's suffrage and a women's rights activist. Susan B. Anthony continued to do great things to empower women and the rights of women leading up until she died.
Susan B. Anthony was a temperance activist who dedicated her life to women's suffrage. Ignoring opposition and abuse, Susan B. Anthony traveled across the nation in hopes of gaining the people's votes [2]. Like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony was also extremely influential. She was an abolitionist worker, educational reformer, labor activist, temperance worker, suffragist and women's rights worker [2].

The perseverance, dedication and hard work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony gave women a voice and allowed their concerns to be heard. All american women finally got the vote with the Ninteenth Amendment, also known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment in 1920.* They have been extremely important women in history and this was a topic that was important to me. While I think we still face discrimination in the economically and politically, it is definitely more socially accepted and often times admired. Many women in recent years have taken a stance in the political, economical and social environment.


*While I know this did not occur until after the time period we have discussed, it was all of her efforts prior to 1877 that made Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony such inspirational leaders during the women's rights movement.


REFERENCES:


[1] Women's Suffrage. Web. 2005. http://teachingamericanhistorymd.net/000001/000000/000143/html/t143.html


[2] Susan B. Anthony House. Web. 2009
http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/her-story/biography.php

[3] Foner, Eric. "Chapter 14: The Civil War." Give Me Liberty!: an American History. 2nd ed.
Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. Print. Seagull Edition.

Reform Movements....Were they really "Reform" Movements?

To answer the question "Were all of these movements really "reform movements" we need to define the word "reform". According to Merriam-Webster.com, reform can be defined as

1 a : to put or change into an improved form or condition

   b : to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses

2: to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or introducing a better method or course of action

Women's Suffrage Movement



The Women's Suffrage movement begun in 1848 and was the first women's right movement, held at Seneca Falls in New York and was organized by Elzabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. During this convention the delegates called for the right to vote among other women's rights. The Convention adopted a "Declaration of Pinciples" modeled on the Declaration of Independence. In addition to the Declaration of Principles, the Seneca Falls Convention also asserted that women should have the right to preach, to be educated, to teach, and to earn a living. The Delegates passed a resolution stating that "it is the sacred duty of the women of this country to secure to themseles the sacred right to the elective franchise." It was these words that began the struggle to win full voting rights for women in the United States.

The most influential leaders of the women's rights movement were eliabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who formed the National Women Suffrage Association in May of 1869. The efforts of the women's suffrage organization allowed women to have a voice in politics. Women were challenging the conventional belief that women's proper sphere of influence was domestic.

The womens suffrage movement in the United States achieved its goal of winning full voting rights for women when the nineteenth amendment was ratified in 1920. While women had finally won voting rights, they did not really begin to have access to most political offes until the 1970's.

Abolition Movement

From the 1830's until 1870, the abolitionist movemen attempted to achieve immediate emancipation of all slaves and the ending of racial segregation and discrimination.

The American Colonization Society was founded in 1817. It led antislavery protests during the early 1800's. Its goal was to send the free slaves to Liberia, Africa. The abolition movement slowly went throughout the Northern United States, even though the southern states didn't want that to happen.

In early 1831, William Lloyd Garrison began publishing his famous newspaper, the Liberator, supported largely by free African-Americans, who played a major role in the movement. In December 1833, The tappans, Garrison, and sixty other delegates of both races and genders met to found the American Anti-Slavery Society, which denounced slavery as a sin that must be abolished immediately.
Antislavery began in the colonial days in the United States.
 
Lucretia Coffin Mott was also a notable abolitionist and was known then for her speaking abilities. She became strongly against slavery. She began to support William Lloyd Garrison and his American Anti-Slavery Society.

It was in 1863 that the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution got rid of slavery in the country.

The Temperance Movement

The temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th century was an organized effort to encourage moderation in the consumption of intoxicating liquors or press for complete abstinence. Alcohol was blamed for many of society's problems; health problems, destitution and crime.

Some of the most notable figures associated with the U.S. Temperance movement were Susan B. Anthony, Frances E. Willard and Carry A. nation. The effects of their efforts and thousands of other advocates included:

Government regulation
Instruction on alcohol in schools
Energized study of alcoholism

The temperance movement crested when the 18th amendment to the constitution was passed and ratified. The most well-known temperance effort since the movements initiation has been Alcoholics Anonymous

While some reforms took longer than others to conquer, I think it is safe to say that the Women's Suffrage movement and The Abolitition movement were set in place to improve the current conditions at that time and to make a change. The Temperance movement, however, wasn't much of a movement to improve or change cruel and or negative conditions, it was merely just an effort to encourage moderation in the consumption of alcohol.

Work Cited:

The Women's Suffrage Movement in the Unites States. Web.

http://www.essortment.com/womens-suffrage-movement-united-states-32594.html

The Abolitionist Movement. Abolitionist Movement, Stewart, James. Web.

http://afgen.com/abmovement.html

The Abolition Movement. Web.
http://www.essortment.com/abolition-movement-32583.html 

The Temperance Movement. Web.

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1054.html

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 2nd ed. New York: W.W Norton &
Company, 2009.

Founding of Plymouth Colony and the creation of the Mayflower Compact

“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith…” [3] were the first words of the Mayflower Compact written in November of 1620. The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony and was drafted by religious separatists known as the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower [5].

In September of 1620, 150 settlers including 41 pilgrims and the rest “strangers” boarded the Mayflower and embarked from England to Virginia seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination and not the will of the English Church [6].  The voyage lasted more than two months and when they finally sighted land, the captain knew they were far north of their destination. It was originally bound for the mouth of the Hudson River [6], but they were blown off course, and landed not in Virginia, but hundreds of miles to the north, what is now Provincetown Harbor, near Cape Cod. (pg. 64) [2]. 

The fathers feared they would be unable to control the actions of the strangers, (including the merchants, craftsmen, skilled workers and indentured servants) and since there was no government in place, some felt they had no legal obligation to remain within the colony and supply their labor [3]. Their solution to the problem of the lack of authority was to create it themselves.

The Mayflower Compact was drawn up with fair and equal laws, for the general good of the settlement and with the will of the majority [4]. The document was drafted aboard the ship and was signed by 41 of the adult males. The agreement first acknowledged the colonists’ loyalty to King James I, and then bound them in a “civil body politic” for the purpose of forming just laws for the entire community. The Mayflower Compact established a social contract within the community and formed a government based upon the consent of the governed [1]. The Compact established that the colony, mostly persecuted Separatists, were to be free of English law [4]. The colonists in no way intended to declare their independence from England [5].

The “Mayflower Compact” as written by Mayflower passenger William Bradford into his manuscript History of Plymouth Plantation about 1630. Bradford’s hand written manuscript is kept in a special vault at the State Library of Massachusetts [6].

Although the original Mayflower Compact has never been found and is assumed destroyed, the Compact was first published in 1622 and a copy written by William Bradford was published in his history of Plymouth Plantation [3]. However, neither version gave the names of the signers. Nathaniel Morton, the nephew of William Bradford was the first to publish the names in his New England Memorial in 1669 [3]. The Mayflower Compact continued to serve as the basis of government until the small colony was merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691 [1].

The Mayflower compact is often referred to as the foundation and forerunner of of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Although the compact was written out of necessity, it set a historic precedent toward the creation of a new democratic nation and influenced the establishment of American Republican goverment.  I think it is extremely important to acknowledge the significance of the Mayflower Compact and the how those few written words conveyed the idea of self-government for the first time in the New World [5]. I really enjoyed researching the history of the Mayflower Compact and the voyage of the pilgrams. It was an important and significant time in history that I don't think we realize I such a lasting impression on our nation today.

Resources

1.         “Colonial America, 1620” Mayflower Compact. USHistory.com Web.

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h524.html

2.         Foner, Eric. Give me liberty! An American history. 2nd Seagull ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009. Print

3.         “Mayflower Compact (1620)” Mayflower History Web. 2011.

http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/PrimarySources/MayflowerCompact.php

4.         “Mayflower Compact – The Common Anchor” All About History Web. 2011

http://www.allabouthistory.org/mayflower-compact.htm

5.         “Mayflower Compact – New World Encyclopedia” New World Encyclopedia. Web. 17 Oct. 2008. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/mayflower_compact

6.         “Mayflower Compact – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact