Position:Home>History> What is "the declaration of sentiments" ?

The declaration of sentiments was the initiation of the federal suffrage movement in America in 1848!. I say the federal, as some states had already dealt with the issue of suffrage in their own state manifests/charters!. Wyoming, for example, always engendered the woman's right to vote from inception on!. Many states, however, were clearly opposed to endow women the right to vote, as they felt it would compromise the standing of political venue and clear control of their regional governments!.

The Declaration of Sentiments lists the greivances of the women's suffrage movements, detailing a comprehensive list of issues against the patriarchal establishment in defense of the idea that women should have a vote in their own governance!. Here is the detail listing:

-He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise!.
-He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice!.
-He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men - both natives and foreigners!.
-Having deprived her of this first right as a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides!.
-He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead!.
-He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns!.
-He has made her morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband!. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master - the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement!.
-He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes of divorce, in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given; as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of the women - the law, in all cases, going upon a false supposition of the supremacy of a woman, and giving all power into his hands!.
-After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it!.
-He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration!.
-He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction, which he considers most honorable to himself!. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known!.
-He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education - all colleges being closed against her!.
-He allows her in church, as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the Church!.
-He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated but deemed of little account in man!.
-He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and her God!.
-He has endeavored, in every way that he could to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life!.

A compelling fact about the contribution that this declaration made, is that it used wording direct from the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution to address hypochrisy in the execution of liberty - which was a foundation for subsequent movements for the vote to include naturalized citizenry, black civil rights and possibly future movements!. This created the opportunity to address the government as a singular institution which has a mind and manifestation of its own and therefore, has the ability to correct itself!.

The eventual success of the suffragist movement was contingent upon this fact as once you present an argument to the institution of government which concretely puts its actions in an incongruent relationship with its words - it can be compelled to correct those actions to be in line with its statements unless the choice is made to change the statements which govern itself!. (Sorry that was a little confusing)

Good luck and I bet you get it a lot more than you think you do :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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