ELIZABETH CADY STANTON
Elizabeth Stanton Racial Background
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on 12th November 1815 and died on 26th October 1902. She was a White American. Daniel Cady was her father and Margaret Livingston Cady her mother. Daniel Candy was a New York judge and a lawyer by profession who was very prominent during his time. Her father worked with several prominent people such as Abraham Lincoln and Alexander Hamilton. Stanton mother Margaret had a Dutch origin and was the daughter of an American Colonel James Livingston.
Elizabeth was married to Henry Stanton, who was a reformer. Both had seven children. They were actively involved in the anti-slavery fights. At one time they attended a London’s World’s Antislavery Convention. Henry Stanton specialized in a law career. They had a home in New York City (Stanton 1898).
Importance of Elizabeth Stanton in American History
Elizabeth Stanton selflessly fought for the women’s rights. She played an instrumental role in the fight for social equality. At the beginning of her career, she started as an abolitionist together with her husband who was a reformist. Despite being a woman, she liked to excel in the males dominated fields as a way of encouraging her fellow women to break away from certain roles that were deemed for women. Women could tackle men’s role equally well as men. She was an active member of the abolitionists, temperance as well as women’s rights movements. Besides tackling women’s voting issues, she as well advocated other issues such as birth control, parental and custody rights for women, employment and income rights, family rights, property rights as well as matters regarding women in case of divorce (Stanton 1898). Elizabeth Stanton was a champion in the fight for the rights women. She was fearless and played a critical role at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. She contributed heavily to the Declaration of Sentiments. Elizabeth Stanton led the National Suffrage Association up to 1900 from 1892 (Buhle and Buhle 1978).
Elizabeth Stanton Life History
Elizabeth was the 8th child in her family of 11 members. She was controversial from an early age by showing extreme interest in male-dominated fields. Her father influenced her to join the fields of law and activism. She was a graduate of the Union College in 1832. During her marriage vows, she omitted the word obey. Elizabeth had two daughters who she named after her sisters Harriot and Margaret. She joined activism at an early age of 17. She rose to be a prominent activist in matters pertaining to civil rights and suffrage. Initially, she was an abolitionist alongside her husband and later embarked on women issues such as family rights, women property rights, and matters relating to voting rights. Her interests in women’s rights came around after realizing how much women were marginalized in matters of employment, property rights, and the custodian over their children in cases of divorce. This shaped her into a feminist and a women’s rights activist in order to change the married women’s plight. Elizabeth played an instrumental role in the organization of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 which was the first event to bring women from all over the world together. She later came up with the National Women’s Loyal League in 1963 together with Anthony B. Elizabeth Stanton took an important part in facilitating the achievement of the universal suffrage through the 19th Amendment eventual passage. Due to her tough stand on women reproductive health and liberal divorce laws, she eventually became marginalized in her late life career as an activist. At around 1870, she had formed the National Woman Suffrage Association that played a big role towards the achievement of the voting right in women. She led the association for 20 years alongside Susan B. Anthony (Stanton 1898).
Elizabeth contributions to Social Equality in the United States or the world
Elizabeth took a crucial function in the organization of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. The first one of the kind during the period. During the convention, together with other activists, they drew the Declaration of Sentiments (Stanton 1898). Her major contribution concerns the issues of gender equality and women suffrage. She continuously lectured and wrote about women rights in her lifetime. During the civil war era, Elizabeth had actively fought against slavery. Later long in her life, she concentrated on women issues only. She was among the founders of National Woman Suffrage Association. She led the association for 20 years. She wrote History of Woman Suffrage initial three volumes. Together with her daughter Harriet Blatch, they wrote The Woman’s Bible. A two-volume publication that was highly criticized (Stanton, Anthony, and DuBois 1981).
Lessons learned from Elizabeth Stanton legacies
Elizabeth made a legacy on issues to do with gender equality and slavery abolition. She contributed immensely towards the 19th amendment of the US constitution. Elizabeth Cady Stanton emerged as a critical individual who played an important role in shaping the American history until her death in 1902.
References
Buhle P. and Buhle M. 1978. The concise history of woman suffrage: Selections from the classic work of Stanton, Anthony, Gage, and Harper. University of Illinois Press.
Stanton, E.C., 1993. The woman’s Bible. Upne.
Stanton E. 1898. Eighty years and more: Reminiscences, 1815-1897. UPNE.
Stanton E. Anthony and DuBois E. 1981. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Correspondence, Writings, Speeches. Schocken.
