FREE ESSAY ON ELIZABETH CADY STANTON

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON

Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in 1815 to the affluent parents Daniel and Mary
Livingston Cady in Jamestown, NY. Cady's parents made it obvious that they preferred sons
to daughters when they showed their mutual displeasure of the birth of the Elizabeth's
younger sister. Determined to succeed at a level relative to her brothers, Elizabeth
attended Jamestown Academy and studied Greek and Mathematics. It was here that she
learned to become a skilled debater. She went on to attend the Troy Female Seminary in
New York. It was one of the first universities to offer an education equal to that of
male academies. While at Troy she studied logic, physiology, and natural rights
philosophy. 
After graduation, she began to work for her father who was a judge and a lawyer. Here she
saw first hand the legal discrimination women faced every day. From then on, she was
determined to change the laws. Stanton traveled around the country and even the over seas
fighting for civil rights for both blacks and women. During her trips she met up with
such women as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and April Bloomer. With the help of her
husband Henry Stanton and Mott, Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments in Seneca
Falls, NY. It was here, that she was able to get over one hundred men and women to sign
the declaration. Stanton managed to become the leading feminist philosopher of the first
generation of women's rights activists, write a number of books on women's rights, and
become the first president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, despite
having seven children. Because of her large family at home, Stanton was not able to
travel with Anthony and the other women. However, she did write speeches for Anthony to
give. Stanton's knowledge and ability to write combined with Anthony's oratorical skills,
made for a very powerful team in the fight for equality. After publishing such books as
The History of Women's Suffrage and The Women's Bible, she eventually died in 1902. She
is seen by many as the most influential women in this movement. During her lifetime she
was able to see many of her goals accomplished. However, it wasn't until well after her
death in 1920 that her lifelong dream came true and women, finally, were given the right
to vote.