Reading Notes Week 7 : Delicate Sentiments

Declaration of Sentiments

London 1840- women not allowed to speak. Despite being two American Delegates. (50)

Disturbed not least by the hypocrisy of the anti-slavery movement, supposedly dedicated to freedom

and human rights, these two delegates - Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

(1815-1902) - convened a Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848” (50)

with 300 or more delegates debated for another woman’s movement to vote.

Former slave Frederick Douglass supported women’s suffrage completely. = abolitionist later

Stanton was the one who wrote the Sentiments which was presented to the population at the

convention.

It was modeled very clearly on the Declaration of Independence. “… This document uses the

language of the American revolution to argue for freedom and equal rights for the half of the nation

that had been excluded by the original declaration.” Women. (50)

You would be 70 more years before American women would win the right to vote.

“We hold these truths to be self evident; that 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; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just

powers from the consent of the governed.”(50)

• Women should be part of the narrative.
• She is using the words that men wrote and that men obey against them.

“Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of those ends, it is the right of those who

suffer from it, to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying

its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most

likely to affect their safety and happiness.“ (50)

• women are not treated under these man made laws. And supposedly god ordained laws. They
• openly refuse the power of a government built on hypocrisy.
• They will suffer no longer. They will be silent no longer. They will be complacent no longer.

“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a

designed to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government,

and provide new guards for their future security. “ (51)

• logic and passion
• Defiance and strength
• Security for their daughters futures

“He has never permitted her to exercise her in inalienable right to elective franchise. He has

compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from

her rates which are given to the most ignorant integrated men – both natives and foreigners.” (51)

• would you submit to rules you had no part in making? Would you agree to anything if your voice on the matter was hushed to a comet of the room where no one would hear you even if you screamed?
• There is no equality where hypocrisy lives.

She talks about the loss of civil individuality and rights to her self and property. (51)

Marriage is a master relationship. And the men have also “Frame the laws of divorce, as to what

shall be the proper causes of the drawers, in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of

children shall be given; as to be holy regardless of the happiness of the woman – the law, in all

cases, going up on the false supposition of the supremacy of man, And giving all power into his

hands.” (51)

• she is pulling no punches. Completely dedicated to her cause. And completely justified in her anger and disbelief in the absurdity of the system which she is against.

She discusses the lack of education of important subjects or serious subjects for women.

“… We insist that they have a mediate admission to all the rights and privileges, which belong to

them as citizens of these United States. “ (52)

• wonderful summary of their demands and rights. Use logic and law. Yet still it took 70 years to game what Bi-Rite is theirs. What by constitution is theirs.