Michelle Carreto

History 007A

DI #5: Moral Reform Movements

The document that I am analyzing is a government document/petition called, The Declaration of
Sentiments, which was written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The source of this document is taken
from the Internet Modern History Sourcebook but I can conclude that this is a primary source
document since it is an original document. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the leader of the
womens rights movement. The message this document is trying to convey is the importance of
women having their own rights and to not be excluded from the Declaration on Independence.
This document was intended for all the males in society so that they can see that women arent
afraid to have a voice in society. For that sole reason is why Elizabeth Stanton chose to mimic
the Declaration of Sentiments to the Declaration of Independence. I personally liked it as well
because it shows how ironic it is that the Declaration wanted to have everyone in America to be
treated as equal but they wrote man instead since it is similar to humankind. So in response
Elizabeth Stanton modified the Declaration of Independence to her own accord.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness. (Independence Source) She used the Declaration but modified it to include men
and women as well and that everyone here to receive equal treatment. So to answer the question
as to what their major demand was it was that women wanted to get all of the rights that men has
as well. The Declaration of Independence was created because America wanted to be free from
Britain and they wanted to be seen as an individual. Using the format of the Declaration for
women shows the similarities from that day and how they too are feeling oppressed with the
current situation that they are facing.
Women were serious about having their rights in society and this would cause men to reject and
actively fight against these ideas. He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming
it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and to her
God. (Sentiments Source) Women were forcefully put into these roles by men when in they
believe it is up to them on what they can do and that they dont need a man to take care of them.
We can also come back to the textbook about that concept of spheres where we see that the
notion that women belonged in the home also seen as the domestic sphere while the public
sphere belonged to men has been called the ideology of separate spheres.(Brands 275) These
are the standards that were set by the early 19th century for men who were the hard bread winners
of the family and women were supposed to sit home and knit. Men want women to know their
place in society and are afraid of any changes. Even though eventually women did get their
rights these ideals are still seen today. Women make less money than money and are still being
identified as the weaker sex. It isnt as bad as during this time period but gender inequalities are
still present.

Brands, et al. American Stories, A History of the United States. 3rd ed. Pearson Education, 2015.
Print.
Stanton, Elizabeth. The Declaration of Sentiments Modern History Sourcebook: The
Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Conference, 1848 Fordham University, The
Jesuit University of New York, Nov. 1998 Web. 21 Apr. 2016
<http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/senecafalls.asp>
Declaration of Independence A New World is at Hand, The Charters of Freedom Web. 21 Apr.
2016<http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html>