What Contributed To The Women's Rights Movement

Susan B. Anthony Kha Hoang Su17 HIST 02W Hist of US 1812 To 1914 August 5, 2017 Section I: Background Susan B. Anthony is arguably considered to be one of America’s most significant women’s rights activist, as well as a social reformer. This is because she is most notable for her contributions to the women's suffrage movement. Along with suffrage, Anthony fought for a number of women's rights as well, including women's property rights, the natural rights of mothers, and women's right to an education at colleges and universities. Not everyone can understand the hardships she endured in order to guarantee the equality for women in terms of both civil and political rights, but her efforts were indeed rewarded with many triumph in achieving equal

The average woman in 1848 could not vote, they worked at home for the cottage industry; which is making cloth at home, and taking care of the children; but if they did work, they worked in factories and made little to nothing. This was also known as the Cult of Domesticity. This system emphasized ideas of femininity. During this time, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott went to London with their husbands to participate in the National Slavery Abolition Convention only to find out that they were not allowed to participate in the convention because they were women. They decided to hold a Women’s Rights Convention in New York when they returned, this convention became known as the Seneca Falls Convention.

However, when thought of, most people remember her contributions to the women’s rights movement. She, and other feminists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, began to realize that there were numerous similarities between slaves and women. Both were fighting to get away from the male-dominated culture and beliefs. In 1848, these women began a convention in Seneca Falls, regarding women’s rights(Brinkley 330). They believed that women should be able to vote, basing their argument on the clause “all men and women are created equal”.

It also revived the emotional side of religion which led to Transcendentalism. This was a philosophical and literary movement in response to rationalism and the enlightenment. It was centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalists were critics of own society. They thought that society corrupted the purity of an individual.

In July of 1848 a convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York whose purpose was “to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman.” This convention was attended by almost 200 women and was the first women’s rights convention to ever be held. It was brought to fruition by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cody Stanton and is known as the Seneca Falls Convention. The two had met 8 years before at an anti-slavery convention and had not been allowed to enter because of their sex. They then decided to begin to advocate for women’s rights and even though it took many years to accomplish, hosted the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention.

This document was modeled directly on the Declaration of Independence and stated that women, like men, were owed their natural rights as equals in society. A line from the Declaration that encapsulates the entirety of Stanton’s beliefs is “woman is man’s equal, was intended to be so by the Creator” (Stanton). This is in regard to the equality of women when it comes to voting and politics, in the workforce, and in society as a whole. Stanton believed that men and women were one and the same and that women could do everything a man could do if it were not for the limitations set by the government. This document was then taken to the Seneca Falls Convention where she spread her ideas to activists propelling the movement

Transcendentalism was the era of the rebellious and different, it was the age of exploring everything outside of what was considered to be normal, the age of going beyond the physical world. Transcendentalism celebrates simplicity, non-conformity, and nature, emotion is also a significant part of this movement. It was believed that if one was not led to make decisions based on their own emotions, then what would lead them? Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the first transcendentalists lay the foundational beliefs that many transcendentalists would follow. These beliefs were reflected through his writing in pieces like “Self-Reliance” and “Nature”.

By the end of the 1800s, industrialization and immigration dramatically changed the landscape of the United States. These changes led to the beginning of reform movement composed of various people who wanted to improve the lives of American citizens and further democracy. They were known as Progressives, and their some of their many goals was to end corruption, limit the power of big business and corporations, and make social improvements, often through government action. Though they did not fix all issues, they did improve the quality of life in American and expand the role of the people in democracy. The values of three important aspects of Progressivism - women’s rights, imperialism, and immigration - developed during the early 1900s, and

On July 19th and 20th of 1848, Hundreds of women and men alike gathered in Seneca Falls, New York for the first ever women's rights convention. Many consider the women's rights convention at Seneca Falls to trigger the start of the women's right movement, and while the convention was organized by many activists, it was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton along with fellow activist Lucretia Mott. Along with this, a document written by Stanton, which she presented at Seneca Falls, called The Declaration of Sentiments, is considered the launching point for the women's rights movement. Seneca Falls was a key starting point for women's rights activism, but Stanton also helped secure women's rights in many other ways during her

During the early 19th century, a religious revival movement, which was the Second Great Awakening, served as a spark to set many reform campaigns in motion because it added an underlying importance of fighting for rights of all people. By the cause of spiritual teachings, human beings felt that they must improve their society by getting rid of everything that they deemed not acceptable. These reforms not only attracted men, but women, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well. Women felt the need to take matters into their hands when it came to procuring their rights. In 1848, women did so by holding the Seneca Falls Convention, where they composed the Declaration of Sentiments.

Transcendentalism is a highly competitive world of the market revolution which strongly encouraged the identification of American freedom without any restraints on people who were seeking financial improvement and personal development. It was a world in which regional developments along with the market revolution crushed traditional and social borders. For example moving from one place to another was a common characteristic of the American life. Transcendentalism believed in individual judgment over existing social traditions and institutions.

Mary Schwarzer DiTomaso Seneca Falls Convention Document Quiz The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was revolutionary for the time. A women’s rights convention that produced the historic, “A Declaration of Sentiments,” a document which contained a list of grievances over the rights that the women of the time were denied unfairly under the eyes of American law. Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the convention was a major step in the legal, social, and religious liberation of women (although it would be more than a century before all women were given the right to vote). Often citing Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson in the document, one of the first lines states that “all men and women are created equal (p2).”

In addition, Helen Keller created more opportunities for women by advocating for their rights. During Helen Keller’s time, women were not granted the suffrage, known as the right to vote. Keller along with other women suffragists fought for the right to vote. Many people thought that women should not be educated or have the right to vote because they would be able to think for themselves, but Helen Keller fought that belief (MacLeod 20). Along with women’s suffragist, Keller also believed in socialism.

Transcendentalism is the belief that man is inherently good, is an independent thinker, and goes out into nature to get in touch with himself. Generally, man has good intentions and intends no harm unto others. In addition, man does not need society to give him and develop his thoughts, as he already has them within. To help bring out these already installed beliefs, man has the desire to go out into nature to get in touch with himself and find deeper notions within. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings “Self Reliance” and “American Scholar”, he writes about how being a true individual means that one must have his own beliefs, and not copy someone else’s ideas.

Transcendentalism, a philosophical and social movement, demonstrated how divinity spreads through all nature and humanity. One of the main ideals of transcendentalism, living simply and independently, define as the principle. In matters of financial and interpersonal relations, independence projects as more valuable than neediness. Henry david Thoreau elaborates on these transcendentalist ideals when he travels into the woods and writes an essay.