Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Childhood
Stanton was born on November 12th, 1815 in Johnstown, NY, daughter to a favorable lawyer and judge. Because her father began to grieve of his only son, Stanton wanted to prove to him she was as good as a boy by studying classics and learning how to ride horseback, which she excelled at. She wanted to attend to Union College in Schenectady where her brother attended, but instead she went to Emma Willard's all-female seminary in Troy, NY for three years, even though she disliked one gender education.
Growth of Interest
Stanton was exposed to the world of reform through several visits to her cousin's home, abolitionist Gerrit Smith in Peterboro, NY, as a young adult. During a visit, she met Henry B. Stanton, an abolitionist orator 10 years her senior, and was attracted to him. And so on May 1840 they were married, even though her father objected to the marriage. Their honeymoon took place in London, at the World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Stanton met a Quaker abolitionist and women's rights advocate, Lucretia Mott. They both began to share anger that women delegates were not allowed to speak and vote at the convention. As soon as they got home, they decided to hold a women's rights convention and form a women's rights organization.
Eight years had to pass before the plan would come to action. During those years, Stanton gave birth to three children with four more to follow, and with Henry B. Stanton, they moved to Seneca Falls, NY. Then on July 19th and 20th 1848, the first women's rights convention was held. Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments modeled after the Declaration of Independence to declare that women were as equal as men. She proposed the resolution for vote against Mott's and her husband's advice, and so the first long struggle for suffrage was formed.
After the Seneca Falls Convention
Stanton began writing articles on women's rights for Amelia Bloomer's temperance paper to Lily. She also wore a costume that was a short skirt over trousers publicized by Bloomer. Through Bloomer, she met Susan B. Anthony in 1851. The two of them were a perfect match because Susan was a great organizer and active campaigner because she had no kids and was unmarried, while Stanton was a successful speaker and writer. In 1860, Stanton found time from her family to become the first women to address a joint session of the New York State Legislature in behalf of stronger married women's property bill, which passed. In 1860, she proposed for liberalized divorce laws at the national women's rights convention.
The American Civil War turned her attention to abolition. In 1863, she and Anthony organized the Woman's Loyal National League to launch a large petition campaign for abolition by constitutional amendment. When the war was over, her feminism affected her to oppose the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment because of the civil rights and the privileges to African American males but to the females. Stanton also tried to unsuccessfully run for Congress from the New York state in 1866, and also tried to unsuccessfully campaign to win suffrage in Kansas in 1867.
Working Together
In 1868, Stanton and Anthony began a women's rights weekly in NY called The Revolution. She wrote editorials in support of vote, more opportunity for working women and the right of women to serve on juries. Together, they formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for the passage of a federal women's suffrage amendment in 1869, in which Stanton served as president for the next 20 years. They had a rival organization called the American Woman Suffrage formed by suffragists who had more traditional views in 1870 led by Lucy Stone.
In 1869 Stanton began lecturing across the country and also campaigned for women's suffrage in California with Anthony in 1871. She addressed congressional committees on behalf of a federal suffrage amendment. She also tried to unsuccessfully vote in Tenafly, NJ where she and her family were living at the time. On her 80th birthday in 1895, Stanton was honored by the declaration of "Stanton Day" in New York City and the gathering of 6,000 people at the city's Metropolitan Opera House. She wrote a book called The Women's Bible in 1895, where she tried to correct what she thought was the degrading view of women. The book was criticized by the press, her suffrage colleagues, and the church officials. Still determined at an elderly age, she continued to publish her views in newspapers, complaining about the state of women's rights movement and attempted to get President Theodore Roosevelt's support.
Aging
Stanton lost eyesight later on, but was still active. She died in her sleep on October 26, 1902, at the age of 86. At her funeral Anthony said simply, "Well, it is an awful hush."
Stanton was born on November 12th, 1815 in Johnstown, NY, daughter to a favorable lawyer and judge. Because her father began to grieve of his only son, Stanton wanted to prove to him she was as good as a boy by studying classics and learning how to ride horseback, which she excelled at. She wanted to attend to Union College in Schenectady where her brother attended, but instead she went to Emma Willard's all-female seminary in Troy, NY for three years, even though she disliked one gender education.
Growth of Interest
Stanton was exposed to the world of reform through several visits to her cousin's home, abolitionist Gerrit Smith in Peterboro, NY, as a young adult. During a visit, she met Henry B. Stanton, an abolitionist orator 10 years her senior, and was attracted to him. And so on May 1840 they were married, even though her father objected to the marriage. Their honeymoon took place in London, at the World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Stanton met a Quaker abolitionist and women's rights advocate, Lucretia Mott. They both began to share anger that women delegates were not allowed to speak and vote at the convention. As soon as they got home, they decided to hold a women's rights convention and form a women's rights organization.
Eight years had to pass before the plan would come to action. During those years, Stanton gave birth to three children with four more to follow, and with Henry B. Stanton, they moved to Seneca Falls, NY. Then on July 19th and 20th 1848, the first women's rights convention was held. Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments modeled after the Declaration of Independence to declare that women were as equal as men. She proposed the resolution for vote against Mott's and her husband's advice, and so the first long struggle for suffrage was formed.
After the Seneca Falls Convention
Stanton began writing articles on women's rights for Amelia Bloomer's temperance paper to Lily. She also wore a costume that was a short skirt over trousers publicized by Bloomer. Through Bloomer, she met Susan B. Anthony in 1851. The two of them were a perfect match because Susan was a great organizer and active campaigner because she had no kids and was unmarried, while Stanton was a successful speaker and writer. In 1860, Stanton found time from her family to become the first women to address a joint session of the New York State Legislature in behalf of stronger married women's property bill, which passed. In 1860, she proposed for liberalized divorce laws at the national women's rights convention.
The American Civil War turned her attention to abolition. In 1863, she and Anthony organized the Woman's Loyal National League to launch a large petition campaign for abolition by constitutional amendment. When the war was over, her feminism affected her to oppose the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment because of the civil rights and the privileges to African American males but to the females. Stanton also tried to unsuccessfully run for Congress from the New York state in 1866, and also tried to unsuccessfully campaign to win suffrage in Kansas in 1867.
Working Together
In 1868, Stanton and Anthony began a women's rights weekly in NY called The Revolution. She wrote editorials in support of vote, more opportunity for working women and the right of women to serve on juries. Together, they formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for the passage of a federal women's suffrage amendment in 1869, in which Stanton served as president for the next 20 years. They had a rival organization called the American Woman Suffrage formed by suffragists who had more traditional views in 1870 led by Lucy Stone.
In 1869 Stanton began lecturing across the country and also campaigned for women's suffrage in California with Anthony in 1871. She addressed congressional committees on behalf of a federal suffrage amendment. She also tried to unsuccessfully vote in Tenafly, NJ where she and her family were living at the time. On her 80th birthday in 1895, Stanton was honored by the declaration of "Stanton Day" in New York City and the gathering of 6,000 people at the city's Metropolitan Opera House. She wrote a book called The Women's Bible in 1895, where she tried to correct what she thought was the degrading view of women. The book was criticized by the press, her suffrage colleagues, and the church officials. Still determined at an elderly age, she continued to publish her views in newspapers, complaining about the state of women's rights movement and attempted to get President Theodore Roosevelt's support.
Aging
Stanton lost eyesight later on, but was still active. She died in her sleep on October 26, 1902, at the age of 86. At her funeral Anthony said simply, "Well, it is an awful hush."
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
An illustration from the book Eminent Women of the Age, a steel engraving, representing Elizabeth Cady Stanton, profiled in and an author of part of the book.
From Eminent Women of the Age. Modifications ©2006 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com.
An illustration from the book Eminent Women of the Age, a steel engraving, representing Elizabeth Cady Stanton, profiled in and an author of part of the book.
From Eminent Women of the Age. Modifications ©2006 Jone Johnson Lewis. Licensed to About.com.