Bridge of Wills

The cherished sentiment, adopted from our U.S. The Constitution, with its “modern” flair, was bravely shared 176 years ago today at the first woman’s rights convention,  hosted in Seneca Falls, New York. Echoing as a firm precedent for expanding women’s political expression, these opening assertions represent a long-lasting impact on women’s political participation in the U.S., making strides for an adequately represented citizenry. In our modern day, the thought of a women’s absence at the voting booth seems prehistoric, something so out of touch with our increasingly politically engaged society. This kept feeling, curated through increased opportunities to close the gender gap and democratize women’s education and empowerment, has allowed for our country to remember this momentous event and to push forward with an America that strives to deliver equal opportunity and promote equal voices. 
 
Before the Convention: The Societal Situation

The revolutionary convention took place due to tremendous gender gaps in U.S. societal and professional spheres, stemming from centuries of festering frustration over the need for women to become more politically active. This movement emerged during the formation of our nation and the struggles persisted during its development. 

Throughout the earliest days of American history, women were expected to assume restrictive and submissive gender roles in society, limiting their exposure around politics and education. In the early 1800s, social philosophies such as the Republican Motherhood (https://wams.nyhistory.org/building-a-new-nation/navigating-the-new-government/republican-motherhood/) prevailed, encouraging women to be civically “conscious” while practicing political noninterference, leaving their knowledge to exclusively pass down to their sons in a mediocre attempt to boost American morale and civic knowledge throughout families. This practice acted on a national vision to inform and raise children under patriotic principles-which is commendable, but it also came at the expense of the possibility for women to directly engage in politics outside the family domain. While this left some women educated about our great nation, it didn’t leave them satisfied with engaging in their politics, inherently suppressing their political opinion in the long-run, reinforcing them to their limited roles. This development, alongside women’s new roles as laborers at the sprout of the Industrial Revolution, for example, gave women more reason to contribute their opinions as active citizens in the voting booth. The need for such a convention was heavily demonstrated during this time, leaving women with the choice to use their voices as the key to open doors to opportunity and national unity. 

The Convention

With gender-focused social and political discourse reaching its crescendo, the conference commenced. Largely considered to be the “birthplace of feminism”, the Seneca Falls Convention in New York was held from July 19-20th of 1848, marking the first the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement in the U.S. The conference, led and moderated by women’s suffrage pioneers Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), joined about 300 women across the nation to advocate against their unsatisfactory condition. Speaking on behalf of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWS), the women discussed diverse issues plaguing the growth of women’s status across the nation. Among the most pertinent issues discussed, such as expanding women’s rights via voting in political elections, the women demonstrated their unity on other heavy topics, such as leveraging divorce, property, and contract rights and bridging the professional and social gender gap between men and women, encouraging women to move beyond the confines of the Republican Motherhood. The event was supported by social minorities, such as abolitionists and “progressive” women during this time.  Frederick Douglas, a significant social reformer and abolitionist attended this conference, showing his support by denouncing the political gender gap. By June 20th, the “women’s constitution”, the Declaration of Sentiment’s final draft, was produced and signed, leaving a monumental impact on the nation. 

The pivotal convention took place 72 years before the status of women’s suffrage was secured by the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. Just how impactful could one get-together could be to representation in our history? 

The two-day conference was simply not enough to bring immediate federal attention to this disparity. The conference had officially stirred up the societal waters of this time, creating a ripple effect that left women more motivated than ever to pursue their own fight for suffrage and women’s individual freedoms. For the next seven decades until their right to vote was constitutionally secured, many spearheads of the women’s rights movement(https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-women-american-politics) made advancements to add credibility to their cause, empowering women as capable and civically engaged persons. Take Stanton as an example of perseverance, being the first woman to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1866; the pursuit being gravely unsuccessful as a result of being a social outlier and unqualified to vote. Marginalized pursuits, such as Victoria Woodhull and Belva Lockwood’s washed up election attempts for President of the United States under the Equal Rights Party Ticket served as a stepping stone to take women seriously in the government realm- these acts done before their basic freedom to vote was granted. These highlights alone undermine 72 years of female persistence, perseverance, and protest that led to the nation’s collective victory in 1920. Shortly after the amendment was finally ratified, The League of Women Voters was born out of the NAWS to encourage women to take advantage of the extended right. 

The Future of Women’s Political Expression

The event that sparked change among many women across the United States isn’t just memorialized for its role as a mere conference, as it created a fruitful force for women’s political and gender equality in our nation through education and empowerment. As of current, a report (https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/voters/gender-differences-voter-turnout) by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) can confirm this effect, as U.S. women are more politically engaged than ever. From booming women’s voting registrations trends to increases of overall women’s election participation, women have been able to meet men to adequately participate in our democracy to ensure their voices are heard and represented, contributing to the progression of our country. As we make our way to voting booths on election day, it’s important now more than ever to recognize this historical precedent so that we can encourage girls and women to continue to exercise their educated and empowered voice. 

All of the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted as citizens of the United States were not freely given. Our men and women fought, advocated, and protested for our society to live in a nation that models progression and sophistication. To that end, it’s important to bring to our remembrance the infamous convention that shaped the trajectory of our nation. On the surface, it helped advance the adequate representation of our citizenry, but in the bigger picture, it paved the continuation of a strong and enduring pathway towards “a more perfect union”.

Works Cited
https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-women-american-politics (https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-women-american-politics)

https://wams.nyhistory.org/building-a-new-nation/navigating-the-new-government/republican-motherhood/ (https://wams.nyhistory.org/building-a-new-nation/navigating-the-new-government/republican-motherhood/)

https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/voters/gender-differences-voter-turnout (https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/voters/gender-differences-voter-turnout)