Question

• Discuss the significance of the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions (1848). Stanton modeled it after the Declaration of Independence. Discuss the parallels, citing specific examples. As always, anytime you are analyzing primary sources, you should provide brief quotations from the sources (Declaration of Sentiments and Declaration of Independence) to support your main conclusions.

• According to Stanton, what position have men taken in women’s lives?

Answer 1

Declaration of Sentiments is a document outlining the right of American women entitled as a citizen of the States. This emerged from the Seneca Falls Convention in New York in July 1848. The Significance of the Declaration of Sentiments are as follows:

• It establishes equality between all men and women and reiterates that both genders are endowed with unalienable rights to life, the pursuit of happiness and liberty.
• This lists 16 facts illustrating the extent of this oppression including the lack of women’s suffrage, women’s lack of property rights in marriage, participation and representation in the government, employment opportunity and inequality in education and employment opportunities.
• 12 resolutions were taken relating to women’s rights. Women’s suffrage was not passed.

Parallels in Stanton Model of Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution after Independence:

The model was based on Declaration of Independence to parallel the struggles of the Founding Fathers with those of women’s movement. It met with significant hostility upon its publication and marked the start of the women’s rights movement in the United States.

According to Stanton, Men have taken the legal head in women’s live.