Women's Rights Movement

Being a woman in the 1800s was limiting, and the highest aspiration that was generally seen as acceptable was to become a good homemaker. Women were expected to dwell mostly within the “private sphere” of society, meaning the home, and left the “public sphere”, the outside, violent world full of temptation, to the men. Society created certain standards that made up the ideal woman, and the females of the time were ridiculed and shunned if they did not follow them. According to the article, “Notes on the Cult of Domesticity and True Womanhood” by Catherine J. Lavender, there were four main ideals, piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. If a woman did not comply with these standards she was shunned.

            The Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention was a gathering of women from all over the country in Seneca Falls, New York. Their purpose was to discuss how they could make life better for women, and have more representation. At this conference the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments was created. This document listed the types of discrimination that women were faced with, and a list of possible resolutions to better the situation. In this document the Constitution of the United States is often used as evidence and support for their cause. The authors use the famous passage from the constitution, “All men (and women) are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This quote strongly suggests that everyone deserves rights, and that male or female you are entitled to certain things.

            Although, this conference was a step in the right direction for women’s rights, not everyone was represented. White rich women had all of the power at the conference and ultimately had control over what was said. The poor women were significantly less represented, and so resolutions did not always keep them in mind. Yet, many good things did come from it such as the recognition that women are indeed equal in value to men. Before this conference women were viewed as lower then men and inferior, but this conference started to change peoples minds. Even if it was just a small shift in some people, more and more people began to realize the truth about women and to accept it.