Recognition Essay Example

New York, served as the starting point of the American feminist movement. It was there that women made a formal declaration, based on America’s own Declaration of Independence, that was surrounded by their desire to achieve equality under the law; a privilege that had escaped them since the formation of the country.The Seneca Falls Convention served as part of a larger period of social reform in the country during this time.  The Second Great Awakening and the abolitionist movements, which were gaining strength in the 1830’s and 1840’s, aimed at improving the lives of those on the fringe of society; from the slave and free blacks in the country, to the treatment of the mentally ill and then finally, women and their desire to be treated as equals to their male counterparts. And these causes fond strength in America’s Declaration of Independence. Jefferson’s words in that document, has been used in favor of more social and political revolutions that any other document in America’s history.

One such example, is the women’s movement and their attempts to gain for them, their equal rights under the belief that the Declaration of Independence, spoke of their struggle as well.                                                                                                                               Women, despite being seen as equal in the eyes of most men of their day, were seen as morally superior to men. This was a view held by a large number of men at that time as well as now. This disallowed them from entering any profession that was seen as behavior not becoming of a lady, which severely curtailed their economic freedom.

However, women played on this perception and took up the causes of the mentally ill and

the improvements of treatment towards children and to improve the working conditions of women in order that they may be kept out of the evils of prostitution. Also, the most influential cause that women took up was the cause of freedom for the slave. In this pursuit, women were given more power and opportunity, to be seen as champions for a national cause. With all of the above mentioned aspects of American culture, warranting a close self examination, it would only be natural that a closer look at the role and treatment of women, take place.

In July 1848, a “convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women”[2] would be held and would become, women’s own declaration of independence and in hindsight, the beginning of the women’s liberation movement was now under way. The convention took place in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. The notable attendees at this convention were Elizabeth Caty Stanton, a champion of women’s rights deep into the 20th century, Jane Hunt, Elizabeth McClintock and Lucritia Mott. On the second day of the convention, a formal declaration was written.

Written in the style of the American Declaration of Independence, with King George as the oppressor of the colonists, being replaced by “men” as being the oppressors of women. Their grievances surrounded around many of the obvious problems women saw; impediments to women ever being seen and treated as equals. At this time, women could not vote, could not take part in the creation of laws, their property was the right of their husbands, all positions of authority were barred from women acquiring and higher education was

unheard of for women at this time. In the Declaration of Sentiments, it proclaimed that “all men and women were created equal.”[3] The document went on in detail concerning the grievances of the more than 300 women there in attendance.The first three paragraphs of the Declaration of Sentiments, reads like the United State’s Declaration of Independence with the above mentioned insertion of “women” being included in the belief that all men are created equal.

However, the Declaration breaks away from the past and complains: “He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master-the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.”[4] The current situation of marriage, placed upon women, a degree of subservience that was expanded into almost every aspect of daily life. However, not only in marriage was a man able to oppress a woman, but in her daily life was well, regardless of her marital status, according to the opinion of the Sentiments: “He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration.  He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction which he considers most honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known.

”[5] Colleges were barred from accepting women as students.  At this time, there was only a small handful of all girl colleges in the

country but they were not able to supply women with any useful education for a trade as there were none available at this time. Also, the Sentiments stated that: “he had endeavored, in every way that he could, to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.”[6] The identity for a women was seen solely within her relationship to her husband and children. Any outside aspirations were quickly quelled from society and the laws which made her husband’s authority over her, oppressive and complete.

All of the points within the Sentiment, reflected the impediments that women had during life in 19th century America and the fallible notion that America was a meritocracy and that one was allowed to rise as high as their talents and merits would propel them. This certainly was not the case for women and the Sentiments spoke to that all to present injustice and more important, gave attention to a problem which many in the country, both men and women, had become apathetic over.The Sentiments, which were voted on by sixty eight women and thirty two men, stated that they wanted and expected to receive, equal treatment under the law.  Every point that was covered in the Sentiments, is now seen, from anyone knowledgeable of the role of women in the early 19th century, as being accurate and true. The last point of the Sentiments, sums up the condition of the women in attendance, as well as millions of other women at the time, had they been allowed to go to school and to learn to read

and write, as well as the millions of women, from then until now, who have felt that their gender has served them as an impediment to the advancement within a society. “Now in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious segregation- in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileged which belong to them as citizens of the United States.

”[7] This however, would not come to pass until the end of the 20th century and some may say that it still has yet to come to fruition.Any attempt to offer women universal suffrage, was usurped by the Union’s attention to the cause of slavery. Frederick Douglass was much against women’s suffrage in the years leading up to the Civil War as he thought that such attention would turn the country away from the issue which he felt was more important to the identity of the country and its people. Therefore, women’s suffrage took a backseat to the abolitionist movement. Even with the passage of the 14th Amendment in July 1868, which gave African Americans the right to vote, yet did not do the same for women, the completion of the women’s suffrage movement, seemed like an impossible dream.

The focus of the country, in the years immediately following the Civil War, was on Reconstruction and not on women’s rights. However, in 1870, Wyoming became the first state to allow women to vote and by the passage of the 19th

Amendment in 1920, giving women the right to vote, a handful of states had allowed for their female citizens to vote. For many women, the struggle for equality is an ongoing struggle but without the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and the tireless efforts of those present at that convention, specifically, Elizabeth Caty Stanton, the progress of gender equality might be pushed back many years. As it is the case with many achievements in the world today, its origins and sacrifices are seen in the past.

The aspiration for woman’s equality is no exception.