LAD#11: Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments

Summarize.
The Seneca Falls Convention of July 19th, 1848 was something of a response to the cause of emancipation, but in the regards of women instead of slaves. It was held in Seneca Falls, New York, and attended by both women and men, where they drew up a document strikingly similar to the Declaration of Independence.

First the Declaration of Sentiments explains that when a portion of mankind wishes to assume a position different than that which they have always assumed, it is proper to give cause as to why they wish to do this. Then, it rewords the Declaration of Independence, instead saying that "all men and women are created equal", but keeping the same principles of rebellion against an unjust government, and ending by saying that these are injustices suffered by women under the government, and that they are entitled to equality.

It then lists some of the injustices, including: not allowing women to vote, forcing women to submit to laws they had no say in, withheld rights that are given to the lowest of men including any civil rights or right in property, allowing a woman's husband to all but be her master, not allowing women to obtain higher education, and forcing women to live a submissive life. Then it requests that women are given all the rights and privilege which are given to male citizens of the United States, and will employ agents and the press, make petitions, etc. in order to reach this goal.

In the second section, titled "Resolutions", the Declaration justifies resolutions by deriving their validity from the "great precept of nature" that "man shall pursue his own true and substantial happiness". These resolutions include that laws preventing women from being equal to men are against this precept and thus have no authority, that woman is man's equal, that women should be enlightened of and allowed to participate in the forming of laws that they are forced to live under, that equality should mean equality across the board for women and men in social as well as political and economic institutions, and that equally to man it is a woman's duty to do what is right.