Stanton and Women Liberty - Essay Example

STANTON AND WOMEN LIBERTY Elizabeth contributed significantly towards welfare and protection of women. When Elizabeth arrived in England, she was informed that women are not allowed to sit with men as regular delegates, she strongly protested and spoke her mind at boarding house; she was supported by human right activists including Lucretia Mott. Surprisingly her husband Henry Stanton did not support her thoughts, he voted against a bill for granting permission to women for sitting with men counterparts as regular delegates. Elizabeth was not satisfied with the general attitude of the public towards women. During the period of American Revolution, white males having personal property were allowed to vote, the general attitude about women started to grow conservative. Women were allowed limited privileges, and had certain responsibilities to be carried out, including household activities. Elizabeth arranged a meeting in 1848, at Waterloo. The purpose of the gathering was to fight for women rights. Her colleagues were Quakers and were associated with anti slavery cause and temperance movement. In the meeting, she openly criticized the American government for its failure to protect and safeguard the rights of women. She discussed some of her concerns in this regard. She protested against laws, that offered husband with the permission to beat his wife, she protested for not allowing wife to divorce her spouse. The previous laws and practices, according to which, when a woman got married, all of her property, including her children, automatically became her husband's property, was opposed and challenged. Elizabeth immediately requested revival of policies. The meeting concluded with a plan to launch Women's Rights Convention, where Elizabeth drew up a declaration of woman's right and modeled it after the Declaration of Independence. Elizabeth protested and condemned such laws, according to which married women was treated as if she was civilly dead, women had no right on their property and earnings. She openly criticized the divorce laws for ignoring the happiness of wife, imposing taxes on her property, but not providing her with the right to vote, and demanded right to vote. She demanded equal education for all, irrespective of gender. Elizabeth was then selected as the leader of women's rights movement. She struggled, and never lost courage and determination. Majority was against her views regarding women, and opposition poured in from all sides. Elizabeth criticized the society for considering women as secondary or inferior being, without the ability to think logically, especially in the political arena. (Blatch, Harriot Stanton and Alma Lutz (1940). Challenging Years: the Memoirs of Harriot Stanton Blatch). In 1851, Elizabeth met Susan B. Anthony, both applied concentrated efforts for women's right. Elizabeth possessed personality and strong speaking ability; she was the brains, the public figure for this cause. Elizabeth was selected as the President of National American Women's Suffrage Association; she remained in this authority from 1869 to 1892. She spent her time circulating and signing petitions for emancipation activities, during the civil war. She stressed that the women population should be allowed to vote, she concluded that, women's suffrage can only be addressed if constitutional amendment in incorporated allowing women right to cast independent vote. She desired the political empowerment of American women. In one of Elizabeth's later speeches that she delivered in 1892, tilted The Solitude of Self, she stated that every individual, irrespective of gender, stands alone. An individual, according to her, is responsible for personal actions, and therefore should accept consequences, create a moral life, and take a stand or not. Before moving to Seneca Falls, Elizabeth developed strong interaction with Lucretia Mott, the Quaker minister, feminist, and abolitionist. She met her at the International Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England in the spring of 1840. The two women were able to develop allies for protection of women's right. She wrote that, 'The general discontent I felt with woman's portion as wife, housekeeper, physician, and spiritual guide, the chaotic conditions into which everything fell without her constant supervision, and the wearied, anxious look of the majority of women, impressed me with a strong feeling that some active measures should be taken to remedy the wrongs of society in general, and of women in particular'. (Ward, Geoffrey C. and Ken Burns (2001). Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony). Elizabeth drafted a Declaration of Sentiments; the draft was issued in coordination and consultation with Mott and a handful of other women in Seneca Falls. In the draft, she proclaimed that men and women are created equal. She proposed resolution seeking voting rights for women. The final resolutions, including feminine voting rights, were passed, in no small measure, because of the support of Frederick Douglass. From this moment onwards her participation and involvement for the protection of women's right gained momentum and popularity. 'Soon after the convention, Stanton was invited to speak at a second women's rights convention in Rochester, New York, solidifying her role as activist and reformer. Stanton scandalized many supporters by suggesting that drunkenness be made sufficient cause for divorce'. (Baker, Jean H. Sisters (2005). The Lives of America's Suffragists. Hill and Wang, New York) STANTON AND POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT The nature of the issue, seeking social and political justice for Women, resulted in Elizabeth's rhetoric took on a potentially racist tone. She argued and demanded justice for female suffrage; Stanton posited that women voters of wealth, education, and refinement were needed to offset the effect of former slaves and immigrants whose pauperism, ignorance, and degradation might negatively affect the American political system. She warned that the issue can be a serious question whether we had better stand aside and see Sambo walk into the kingdom of civil rights first. She appeared strongly frustrated and concern about subjecting women under sufferings and torture. It has been argued that Stanton's position fragmented the civil rights movement by pitting African American men against women and, in part, established a basis for the literacy requirements that followed the Black male franchise. Stanton's position caused a significant rift between herself and many civil rights leaders, particularly Frederick Douglass, who believed that women, empowered by their ties to fathers, husbands, and brothers, at least vicariously had the vote, and that horrifying treatment as slaves entitled now free African American men, who lacked women's indirect empowerment by association to men, to voting rights before women were granted the franchise. (Banner, Lois W (1997). Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Radical for Women's Rights). In 1866, Stanton supported by Anthony, and several other suffragists drafted a universal suffrage petition demanding that both women and African American men be granted the right to vote. After the end of American Civil War, both Stanton and Anthony developed differences with their abolitionist backgrounds and struggled strongly against ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution granting African American men the right to vote. Elizabeth was of the opinion that increased number of males in the voter list will further paralyzed the chances and hopes of the women seeking political justice. Stanton was not happy with her former colleagues, supporting both, the African American and women's rights. The petition was introduced in the United States Congress by Stevens. Despite these efforts, the Fourteenth Amendment was passed, without adjustment, in 1868. However the lawmakers were aware of the fact, that every soon, the women forces will dominate, and those subjected to criticism and isolation will sought political and social freedom. (Ward, Geoffrey C. and Ken Burns (2001). Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony). Stanton opposed the passage of Fifteen Amendment; she therefore launched National Woman's Suffrage Association (NWSA), and demanded addition of clause with reference to female suffrage. At this stage, she developed conflicts with her own colleagues, who parted off, and formed American Woman's Suffrage Association. Stanton wanted to push for a broader platform of women's rights in general. She asserted the Bible and Christianity as the cause. Mainstream religion had an agenda for women, no divorce, no vote, no birth control, no right to own property, and no equality. According to her, 'There was no question as important as the emancipation of women from the dogmas of the past, political, religious, and social. It struck me as very remarkable that abolitionists, who felt so keenly the wrongs of the slave, should be so oblivious to the equal wrongs of their own mothers, wives, and sisters, when, according to the common law, both classes occupied a similar legal status'. (Kern, Kathi (2001). Mrs. Stanton's Bible. Cornell University Press). Stanton shared strong opinion about her demand, seeking inclusion of women into voter list. She was later supported by Sojourner Truth, a former slave and feminist. Matilda Joslyn Gage was joined the campaign, she later worked on The Women's Bible with Stanton. It took another fifty years for the American lawmakers to pass the resolution giving the right to the women population to vote. She explored and rectified certain religious teachings in The Woman's Bible, which elucidated a feminist understanding of biblical scripture and sought to correct the fundamental sexism Stanton saw as being inherent to organized Christianity. Stanton was in the favor of divorce rights, employment rights, and property rights for women, issues in which the more conservative suffragists preferred not to become substantially involved. (Baker, Jean H. Sisters (2005). The Lives of America's Suffragists. Hill and Wang, New York) Elizabeth and many of her colleagues broadened the scope of their women right movement. Elizabeth took the issue with reference to the fundamental religious leanings of several movement leaders. She believed that organized Christianity relegated women to an unacceptable position in society, and sought improvements and modifications in this regard. During the last years of her social and political quest, she discussed the history of the suffrage movement in her articles and speeches. (Kern, Kathi (2001). Mrs. Stanton's Bible. Cornell University Press) Elizabeth wrote many important documents and speeches on women's right movement; her efforts resulted in the promotion of women's suffrage in various states, particularly New York, Missouri, Kansas and Michigan. In 1868, Stanton made an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Congressional seat from New York, and she was the primary force behind passage of the Woman's Property Bill, that was eventually passed by the New York State Legislature. References 1. Baker, Jean H. Sisters (2005). The Lives of America's Suffragists. Hill and Wang, New York. 2. Banner, Lois W (1997). Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Radical for Women's Rights. Addison-Wesley Publishers. 3. Blatch, Harriot Stanton and Alma Lutz (1940). Challenging Years: the Memoirs of Harriot Stanton Blatch. 4. Kern, Kathi (2001). Mrs. Stanton's Bible. Cornell University Press. 5. Ward, Geoffrey C. and Ken Burns (2001). Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Read More