To me there was no question so important as the emancipation of women from the dogmas of the past, political, religious, and social.
Elizabeth cady stangton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the most important figures in the development of women’s suffrage through her activism as a feminist and thinker (DuBois and Smith 1-2). She was born in New York in November 1815 as the daughter of the lawyer and judge Daniel Cady and Margaret Livingston. From an early age, Stanton was interested in the law and had a strong sense of justice when it came to the non-existent rights of married women (Ginzberg 21).
By the age of 24, after she married the open-minded abolitionist Henry B. Stanton, she travelled together with her husband to England to attend the “Anti-Slavery Convention” (Harper 715-716). Her “wedding journey” is a rather unfitting title regarding the content she writes in this chapter of her autobiography “eighty years and more”. She met a lot of women who also were abolitionists such as Lucretia Mott with whom she sympathized a lot (DuBois 5). Especially this acquaintance strengthened her desire for equality between women and men and prompted her to organize a women’s rights convention as soon as she came back to the US. As a result, both organized the Seneca Falls Convention held in 1848 where the “Declaration of Independence” was signed (McConnaughy 1).
Hypothesis
How did Elizabeth Cady Stanton‘s “wedding journey” to England influence her perspective on women’s rights and gender oppression, especially in connection with her understanding of orthodox values, in becoming one of the leading figures in the women’s rights movement in the middle of the 19th century?
As previously mentioned Stanton’s “wedding journey” is not a traditional one. It is more about her personal development from a simple accommodator to a woman with her own outlook and perspective on politics and the decision to take an active part in it. Her development can especially be seen by reading her story and the experiences she made during the “Anti-Slavery Convention”. This particular event in her chapter “wedding journey” displays a major indicator for her further role in the women’s rights movement because from beginning to end she states her admiration towards women and the importance of them participating as she sympathizes with believers of equality while using religious metaphors to ridicule the opinions of the abolitionists.
Her arrival in London is connotated by negative words, for example, “gloomy” (Stanton 78), when describing the aura and scenery of England’s capital. This dim atmosphere was changed quickly by the arrival of women which she not only states herself but makes clear in her choice of wording by using “delightful” (Stanton 78) and “charming” (Stanton 78). Through describing women’s appearance in a positive way in contrast to situations women are not present, Stanton’s stand on how she perceives women gets a cross very well. It gives the reader an idea and helps to imagine the impact their arrival of them had on her. During the convention, she associates words like “remarkable” (Stanton 80) and “leaders” (Stanton 80) with women while oppressors are accused of spreading “masculine platitudes” (Stanton 80) when talking about women’s suffrage. Stanton uses very expressive language to make clear that there is no room in her head for anything else than the emancipation of women. She chooses vocabulary like “no question” (Stanton 79) or “important” (Stanton 79) in connection to the equality of women which gives the reader the feeling of utter dedication from Mrs Stanton .
By repeating herself on the matter of disbelieving that women are not treated equally, Stanton shows how important that matter was to her, how she disbelieves what she experienced because the mistreatment of women was not an acceptable concept to her. When talking about the abolitionists she shows no understanding. She uses a lot of opposites in direct contrast to each other, for example, “were invited” (Stanton 79) followed by “were rejected” (Stanton 79), which emphasises Stanton’s shock when discovering the view of abolitionists. Also, after already highlighting this behaviour that was shown towards women she repeats herself again by drawing the conclusion of how particular women “…might have questioned the propriety of calling it a World’s Convention, when only half of humanity was represented there…” (Stanton 80). Further, she describes how she observed how women were “impatiently waiting” (Stanton 80) to be heard while sitting in “painful suspense” (Stanton 80) which fueled her desperate need to change something.
„They scorned a convention that ignored the rights of the very women who had fought, side by side with, them in the anti-slavery conflict.“
Elizabeth cady stanton
The opposition utilizes their understanding of orthodox values to support their narrow-minded view on women’s rights. This prejudice was influenced by scriptural texts which altered the understanding Elizabeth Cady Stanton had of religious values. She does not want to be a part of an institution which oppresses women. Furthermore, she uses religion in a negative sense and in sarcastic remarks to express her disbelieve by stating that women should behave themselves in the eyes of “the clergyman” (Stanton 80) to as not to “shock the heavenly hosts” (Stanton 80). Additionally, she describes how women were expected to modestly listen while sitting “in a low curtained seat like a church choir” (Stanton 81). To end her mockery of religious values she mentions it one last time as a metaphor to describe how obviously idiotic and hypocritical it is to use religion as a reason for oppressing women by comparing the burning of flesh with the severance of emotional damage of being not heard or allowed to state an opinion (Stanton 82).
On the other hand, she shows a lot of sympathy for the Garrisonians due to them supporting the same values as she does on women’s equality even though she is not part of them (Stanton 79). She feels validated by finding people who think alike. She especially mentiones George Bradburn who made her feel understood. Stanton describes that he was “standing head and shoulders above the clerical representatives” (Stanton 81) while speaking which indicates not only his remarkable appearance in a literal sense but his intellectuality she perceived while he defended women’s rights. Bradburn was convinced the abolitionists were wrong and if the bible was used to oppress women “the best thing he could do for humanity would be to bring together every Bible in the universe and make a grand bonfire of them” (Stanton 81).
Elizabeth Cady Stanton had no specific expectations nor intentions regarding their “wedding journey”, but it turned out to be a big part of her journey in her political activism. The convention adjourned with the realization that it is time for more new liberties for women. It “stung women into new thought” (Stanton 82). This led to her forming a society with Mrs Mott to fight actively for women’s rights and not just standing up for themselves but for one another.
Sources
Primary Source
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. Eighty Years and More (1815-1897); Reminiscences of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. First ed., European Publishing Company, 1898.
Secondary Sources
DuBois, Ellen Carol and Smith, Richard Cándida. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Feminist As Thinker: A Reader in Documents and Essays. New York University Press, 2007.
Ginzberg, Lori D. Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life. Hill and Wang. New York, 2009.
Harper, Ida Husted. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. First ed., e-book, 1998.
Husted Harper, Ida. “Elizabeth Cady Stanton.” The American Monthly Review of Reviews: An International Magazine, vol. 26, December 1902, pp. 715-719.
McConnaughy, Corrine M. The Woman Suffrage Movement in America: A Reassessment. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Images
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: https://www.pinterest.de/pin/214413632231791862/
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton: https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avengers-of-the-week-lucretia-mott-elizabeth-cady-stanton