Declaration of Sentiments ( Week 10 )

“The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. 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 of 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” (Stanton).

            This quote emphasizes citizens’ rights and proclaims equality. In this quote Stanton is fighting for women’s rights. In the past, women didn’t have the right to vote and they were not allowed to go to school. There were specifics jobs for women, for instance, seamstress. If they were employed, they were not allowed to save their wages, they had to give it to their husbands. If divorced, they had not rights to keep their children.  Their voice did not count. Their husbands had the right of property. Women were only to take care of their children, clean the house and obey their husbands.  Their husbands deprived them and maltreated them because they had not rights, even to talk or defend themselves.  In this quote Stanton suggests that men and women deserve equal rights. All citizens deserve, education, independence and right to vote. The topics of civil liberty and civil rights relates to the declaration of sentiment since the imposition of the government’s laws didn’t promote equality and freedom.

            This quote caught my attention because it reminds me the history of women. Thanks to the women’s rights movement, men and women have equal rights. Women are strong, and able to achieve their goals. They are independent and able to take their own decisions. There ‘re laws that protect women from violence and deprivation. Now, women can become a president, leaders, lawyers, polices. There are not prohibitions in what woman can or can’t do.  However, some men still believe that women are to take care of their  children and attend the house. Also, mostly men receive higher salary than women in the same job position. Anyhow, there has been a lot of changes from past time to now. Thanks to those leaders who fought for citizens’ rights, women are free to achieve what they want. Now women’s voice and vote count.