Isabella Carter
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are three of the most important documents in American history. Despite being drafted by educated white men of property, women have played a significant role in influencing these documents. The Declaration of Independence, with its promise of equality, opened the door to women's participation in politics. Women like Abigail Adams advocated for women's rights through her writing, challenging gender inequality in Revolutionary America. The New Jersey Constitution of 1776, one of the most inclusive state constitutions of its time, allowed women to vote. During the war, women's revolutionary actions and contributions to community-building helped secure the idea of voting rights for women in the future. At the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, supporters of women's rights used the Declaration of Independence as a guide to draft the Declaration of Sentiments, demanding equal suffrage and protesting women's inferior legal status. These efforts culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Women's rights convention | Seneca Falls, New York, July 1848 |
| Number of attendees | More than 300 men and women |
| Document | Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments |
| Document's influence | Modeled after the Declaration of Independence |
| Document's purpose | Protested women's inferior legal status |
| Document's proposals | Moral, economic, and political equality of women |
| Most radical resolution | Demand for woman suffrage |
| Result | 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote |
| New Jersey Constitution of 1776 | Created an opening for women to vote |
| Abigail Adams | Advocated for women's rights through her writing |
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What You'll Learn
Abigail Adams' letters challenged gender inequality
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are considered the three most important documents in American history. They are symbols of liberty and equality, with the liberties alluded to in the Declaration of Independence being implicitly guaranteed in the Constitution and explicitly enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States, played a significant role in challenging gender inequality through her letters. In a letter dated March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, who was then participating in the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia:
> "I have sometimes been ready to think that the passion for Liberty cannot be equally strong in the Breasts of those who have been accustomed to deprive their fellow Creatures of theirs."
She further encouraged him to "remember the ladies", adding that "your Sex are naturally Tyrannical" and that men should not be given unlimited power over women:
> "Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation."
While John Adams did not take his wife's letter seriously, referring to her suggestions as "saucy", he did mull over her criticisms. In a letter to James Sullivan, John Adams questioned the exclusion of women from voting qualifications:
> "Shall We Say, that every Individual in the Community, old and young, male and female, as well as rich and poor, must consent, expressly to every Act of Legislation? ... Whence arises the Right of the Men to govern Women, without their consent?"
Abigail Adams's letters provide valuable insight into the social and political climate of the Revolutionary and Early National periods in American history. Her correspondence with her husband and other political leaders, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, showcases her intelligence and engagement with the political issues of her time.
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The New Jersey Constitution of 1776 allowed women to vote
The influence of women on the Declaration and the Constitution is an interesting topic. The Declaration of Independence, drafted in 1776, and the US Constitution, drafted in 1787, were both written by groups of educated white men of property. However, the documents were influenced by the growing sentiment of equality and liberty, which would later be vindicated by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, ending slavery and guaranteeing equal protection under the law for all citizens.
The influence of women on these documents was indirect but significant. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, for example, used the Declaration of Independence as a guide when drafting their Declaration of Sentiments, which culminated in the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote.
One state that allowed women to vote much earlier was New Jersey. The New Jersey Constitution of 1776 is notable for its lack of an amendment clause, which led to some ambiguity around voting rights. The constitution's use of a feminine pronoun in the description of voters implied that women could indeed vote. This was further supported by the inclusion of a property qualification, which some have argued was meant to exclude those without the independence to vote freely.
Electoral statutes in 1790 and 1797 attempted to clarify the constitution's position on voting rights, but critics argued that these new laws misinterpreted the original document by expanding the vote to women and people of colour. Despite this, defenders of women's suffrage prevailed, at least initially. A letter published in a newspaper in 1800 by a New Jersey legislator explicitly stated that townships should not refuse the vote to any "widowed or unmarried woman of full age," as long as they met the property requirements.
The discovery of polling records by the Museum of the American Revolution in 2018 provided further evidence of women's suffrage in New Jersey during this period. These records document the names of 163 women voters on nine poll lists dating from 1800 to 1807, challenging the notion that women in the Early Republic were merely passive observers of political processes.
However, this inclusive electorate was short-lived. In 1807, the state legislature restricted voting rights to tax-paying, white male citizens, citing the need to give the Democratic-Republican Party an advantage in the upcoming presidential election. This law not only took away voting rights from women but also from African Americans, as they often voted for the opposing Federalist Party.
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Women's rights convention in 1848 modelled demands after the Declaration of Independence
The Women's Rights Convention in 1848, also known as the Seneca Falls Convention, was the first women's rights conference in the United States. It was held at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Seneca Falls, New York, and drew over 300 attendees, including around 40 men. The convention was predominantly organised by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with the assistance of Lucretia Mott and local female Quakers. Stanton was also the principal author of the convention's manifesto, the Declaration of Sentiments, which was modelled after the United States Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Sentiments was written primarily by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with assistance from Mary Ann M'Clintock, and the M'Clintocks' daughter, Elizabeth. It was drafted in the M'Clintocks' parlor, with the women using the 1776 Declaration of Independence as a framework. The Declaration of Sentiments asserted women's equality in politics, family, education, jobs, religion, and morals. It emphasized the need to extend voting rights to women and also covered their property rights, protection in marriage and divorce, and the broadening of employment and educational opportunities.
The Declaration of Sentiments was signed by 68 women and 32 men and served as the framework for the women's rights movement in the decades to come. It was not a permanent model for national women's conventions, but it is still occasionally referenced by women today. The Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments marked the beginning of a 72-year struggle for women to win the right to vote, which was finally achieved in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The convention and the Declaration of Sentiments faced misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule, including extensively in newspapers. However, they were also covered favorably by some newspapers, including the anti-slavery papers, and received support from prominent figures such as Frederick Douglass. Despite the mixed reactions, the Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments were significant milestones in the women's rights movement and helped lay the foundation for the protracted struggle for women's equality and suffrage in the United States.
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Women's actions during the war helped secure voting rights
Women's actions during World War I were pivotal in securing their voting rights. As men went off to fight the war, women filled the jobs they left behind, which led to a dramatic shift in public attitudes toward women's roles in American democracy. By 1918, President Woodrow Wilson acknowledged to Congress that women played a vital role in the war effort. This shift in perception allowed suffragists to adapt rhetorical claims made in favour of the war to support their arguments for the expansion of voting rights.
Before World War I, opponents of women's suffrage, such as the Women's National Anti-Suffrage League, argued that women's supposed inexperience in military affairs was a reason to restrict their voting rights. They asserted that while women constituted a majority of the population, their lack of experience in military matters made it dangerous to allow them to vote in national elections. However, during the war, women actively contributed to the war effort, challenging the notion of their physical and mental inferiority. This made it increasingly difficult to maintain that women were unfit to vote, both by constitution and temperament.
In addition to changing perceptions, women's direct actions during the war also contributed to their fight for voting rights. Women's rights and anti-slavery activists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, organised the first women's rights convention in American history at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Over 300 participants, including abolitionist Frederick Douglass, attended the convention, which resulted in the creation of the Declaration of Sentiments. This declaration proclaimed that "all men and women are created equal" and outlined the injustices women endured, including their inability to control property and severely limited educational and professional opportunities. Sixty-eight women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments, and it served as a pivotal moment in the fight for women's suffrage.
The momentum for women's suffrage continued to build during and after World War I. In 1917, Canada gave the right to vote to some women, with universal adult suffrage achieved in 1960. During the war, Denmark, Russia, Germany, and Poland also recognised women's right to vote. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified in the United States, guaranteeing women the right to vote on equal terms with men. While this was a significant milestone, it is important to note that Black women in the United States continued to face racial discrimination and were often disenfranchised despite the amendment.
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Women writers advocated for equal rights
Women writers have played a significant role in advocating for equal rights and influencing societal change. One of the earliest and most influential women writers in this regard was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In 1848, Stanton, along with a group of passionate women, initiated a movement for women's rights. She used her writing skills to draft a "
Stanton was also active in organising women's rights conventions, exercising her freedom of assembly and speech. She worked with other women to write speeches, articles, and essays, and she petitioned the state of New York for women's rights laws. Additionally, she testified before Congress and helped draft legislation for women's suffrage, demonstrating her commitment to securing political and legal equality for women.
Another prominent woman writer and activist was Susan B. Anthony, who worked closely with Stanton. Anthony was a social activist and a lifelong supporter of gender and racial equality. She used her writing skills to advocate for these causes and played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement. Anthony's efforts ultimately led to the introduction and ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, which became widely known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
Other notable women writers who advocated for equal rights include Alice Paul, a leader in the National Woman's Party, who drafted an Equal Rights Amendment for the United States Constitution; Margaret Sanger, a public health nurse who initiated the birth control movement, advocating for women's reproductive rights; and Simone de Beauvoir, a French philosopher and writer whose book "The Second Sex" helped spark conversations around modern feminism and criticised the patriarchy.
Women writers have also used journalism as a tool to advocate for equal rights. Ida B. Wells, an African-American journalist and educator, was an early civil rights leader who fought for gender and racial equality. She utilised press freedom and her journalistic platform to address social issues and lead grassroots activism. Gloria Steinem, another influential journalist and writer, co-founded New York magazine and Ms. magazine, providing opportunities for women to write about politics. She also assembled women to petition for change and co-founded several women's organisations, including the Women's Action Alliance and the National Women's Political Caucus.
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Frequently asked questions
Women like Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, Judith Sargent Murray, and Mary Wollstonecraft advocated for women's rights through their writing. Adams, for instance, wrote to her husband, who was drafting the Declaration of Independence, to "Remember the ladies".
Women played a crucial role in creating community during the war, which helped secure the idea of voting rights for the next generation. Women also demonstrated their citizenship and political convictions through sacrifices for the American cause.
The Declaration of Independence's call for equality opened the door to more women in politics. The National Woman Suffrage Association, for instance, adopted a Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States, seeking equal rights and the right to vote.
The US Constitution, along with the Declaration of Independence, are symbols of the liberty and equality that allow Americans to achieve success. The Constitution made liberties legally enforceable, and the 14th Amendment required states to respect fundamental liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
The Declaration of Independence influenced the US Constitution by providing a framework for liberties and rights. The Constitution, in turn, made these liberties legally enforceable.
