The Seneca Falls Convention In The 1800's

Charlotte Brontë once said, “I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience” ("Find Quotes"). In the early 1800s inspiration to begin a movement that strove for gender equality stemmed from ideas very similar to the idea expressed in the quote, along with influences from the actions of early abolition and temperance leaders. Activists, desiring equal rights for women, and co-equality among men, though still distant aspirations, began to take steps toward a revolution that would permanently advance the lives of women. Ideas as to how this issue should be addressed
However, that was easier said than done. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were the driving forces behind the convention at Seneca Falls, and they were eager and ready to fight for, and institute, the drastic changes it would take to achieve total equality with their male counterparts, but at the time, those thoughts were viewed, by most white males, as extremely radical and not nearly important enough to be considered. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, attempted to inspire significant changes in both the social and political lives of women, giving them the opportunity to advance in society. However, negative backlash from the public prevented the overall success of this
Though Seneca Falls was small, its location was ideal for the intended purpose of this convention. It was chosen mostly because of the close proximity of people living along the Seneca and Cayuga Canals that linked directly to the Erie Canal, which passed just ten miles northeast of the town. Also, Seneca Falls fell geographically right in between a railroad line and an east-west turnpike which helped to greatly increase accessibility to this small town. Not only was Seneca Falls a rich agricultural center, for many years prior to 1848, it was the home to many anti-slavery and temperance activists and was the location of many previous gatherings that were held to address social and political reform very similar to the reform movement discussed at Seneca Falls (Page). Also, helping to prompt this revolution, were local influences from Quakers and various Iroquois tribes who had already instilled traditions of female equality into their daily lives (Leonard). Because there was such a heavy concentration of these ideas in and around Seneca Falls, that was yet another reason as to why the convention was held there. The leaders of the Seneca Falls convention wanted those ideas to be seen and heard by as many people as possible, so that the public would hopefully understand that