Seneca Falls Convention Notes

Opposition to Abolition

• By the 1830s, slavery was banned in Northern states.
• However, it became entrenched in the Southern economy, religion, and culture.
• Defending slavery became synonymous with defending the South.
• The rise of cotton, rice, sugar, and tobacco industries led to a boom in slavery.
• By the 1850s, slavery remained only in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Southern states.
• Southern states defended slavery primarily on economic grounds.
  • They argued that they were completely dependent on slaves to sustain industries.
  • Cotton cultivation had exploded to meet demands from textile manufacturers in the North and Europe.
  • Southern leaders argued that the industry would lose its profitability without slaves, potentially impacting the textile industry.
• The South also feared that freeing slaves would lead to widespread unemployment.
  • Slaves would require education and social support, potentially leading to national bankruptcy.
• The Southern economy had not modernized as rapidly as the North.
  • It was still rural and based on land acquisition.
  • Industrial revolution, growth in cities, jobs, and industries had not yet taken place.
  • Transportation, literacy, and education suffered.
• Opponents of abolition invoked religion.
  • They cited mentions of slavery in the Bible.
  • They argued that slavery was the foundation of a civilized society.
  • They portrayed the North as lacking morality and decency.
  • They painted a picture of the South as orderly and peaceful.
• The differences between the North and South were ideological.
  • The South believed slavery was acceptable.
• Frederick Douglass was a former slave and advocate for men and women's rights.
  • He dismantled arguments for slavery and oppression.

Limits Faced by American Women in the Early 1800s

• As slavery was slowly abolished, attention shifted to women's rights.
• The Revolutionary War clarified the rights of men and led to questioning the limitations on women.
• During the 1800s, women were not considered equals to men.
  • Women were expected to be submissive and defer to men.
• Traditionally, women worked only in the home.
• Women started working in fields and alongside men.
• The industrial revolution opened new doors for women to work in factories.
• Many professions remained closed to women; they could not become doctors or lawyers.
• Women earned less than men for the same jobs in factories or farms.
• Women were denied a voice in government and politics.
  • They were not allowed to vote.
  • Susan B. Anthony was arrested for voting in 1872.
• Women had to submit to laws without having a say in them.
• Married women became the property of their husbands.
  • They could not own property.
  • Husbands had legal control over their wives.
  • Divorce and child custody laws heavily favored men.
• Unmarried women could own property and had to pay taxes on it but had no representation.
• At the beginning of the 1800s, women lacked fundamental rights.
  • They could not vote, hold office, or access education.
  • Married women lost control over their lives.
• The growth of industry allowed women to postpone marriage and seek employment in mills, factories, or as teachers.
• Women were considered morally pure and began playing a key role in movements like temperance and abolition.
• Catherine Beecher and Sarah Hale led women's efforts in the abolition movement.
• The public debated whether women should be involved in important issues.
  • Women were lecturing to groups of men about abolition.
• By the 1830s, over 100 female anti-slavery societies existed.
• Religious and political circles opposed women's involvement.
• In Massachusetts, clergy forbade women from speaking out or lecturing at church services.
• By 1840, the issue split the American Anti-Slavery Society.
• Female delegates were denied access to a world conference on slavery.
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were among those banned.
  • They were relegated to a balcony.
  • They decided to call a convention to address the plight of women.

Development of the Women's Movement

• In 1848, Stanton and Mott reunited during a visit.
• New York had passed the Married Women's Property Rights Act, a progressive piece of legislation.
• Stanton and Mott decided to call a convention to discuss the condition and rights of women.

Seneca Falls Convention and Its Effects

• The Seneca Falls Convention was held at a church in Seneca Falls, New York, and lasted two days.
• Stanton wrote the declaration of sentiments, listing 20 injuries and usurpations directed toward women by men, inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
• The declaration of sentiments was accompanied by nine resolutions, including granting women the right to vote.
• The convention was attended by over 300 people, including 40 men.
• James Mott, Lucretia Mott's husband, led the convention.
• Speakers included Frederick Douglass.
• All resolutions were passed, and the declaration was signed by over 100 participants.
• Religious leaders and the press ridiculed the meeting.
• The New York Herald printed the declaration of sentiments to mock it.
• Stanton praised the coverage, noting that it would start people thinking.
• Elizabeth Stanton partnered with Susan B. Anthony to fight for women's suffrage.
• In 1920, seventy years later, women finally gained the right to vote.
• Only one woman present at the Seneca Falls Convention was still alive to cast her ballot.