In the third decade of the new government most of the States, influenced by Jackson, Jet fer son and others of democratic tendencies, re moved the restrictions which barred the wort ing men from the electorate, and this made the discrimination against women still more ap parent. In l8..1) a talented and wealthy Scotchnoman. Frances Wright. having glowing acconnts of this land of individual liberty, came here and associated herself with Robert Dale Owen, then making some advanced social experiments, in the publication of his paper. She was greatly surprised to learn that women had no part in the government and for several years in the paper and on the plat form she urged the enfranchisement of women and was the first to bring the question before the public. She was followed in 1836 by Ernes tine L Row, daughter of a rabbi in Poland, who had been banished because of her progress ire ideas. She was only 26. handsome and elo. anent. and hir lectures on the science of gov ernment were largely attended. She, too, was amazed at the subordinate position of women and not only advocated their full enfranchise ment but al ;1 unjust laws under whicl they suffered. In he winter of 1826-37 she herself circulated a petition in Albany. N. k., tor a law to enanle a married woman to hold property, and, although she could get only five signatures, she carried these to the legislature and addressed that body. She kept up this work, which soon attracted atten tion, and by 1840 she had associated with her Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Paulina Wright Davis, two brilliant young married women, and Lydia Mott, a well-known social reformer in Albany_ In many localities there began to be signs of an awakening on the part of women. Margaret Fuller, one of a coterie of thinkers in Boston, in her writings and semi-public ad dresses in 1840 demanded political rights for women and published her book, 'The Great Lawsuit, Man vs. Women.' Meanwhile larger forces were moving for the development of women and the extension of their rights. The anti-slavery question was growing more momentous. In 1828 Sarah and Angelina Griniki, of South Carolina, emanci pated their slaves, came North and by their impassioned speeches aroused public sentiment. Garrison soon entered the contest and the American Anti-Slavery Society was formed. From the beginning women were prominently identified with this movement and the first Women's Anti-Slavery Convention was held in New York in 1837. The names of Lucretia Mott, Lydia Maria Child, Maria Weston Chap man, Kelly, Abby Hopper Gibbons and many others soon became known. The whole question of human rights was thoroughly discussed and women then began to recognize their own and to take part in the business meet ings and debates of the society. This aroused violent opposition and in 1839 the so ciety was rent in twain on this point. The half sustaining the rights of women comprised Garrison, Phillips. Pierpont, Pillsbury, Thomp son, Foster, Stanton, Gerrit Smith — nearly all of those , 1..1 the abolition of slavery to success. 'flu, forth these men became the champions of ? ten's rights, in cluding that of the t,allot, ar to women added to their appeals tor the slaves others for their own legal and political liberty.
The question of woman's right to take pub lic part in this movement was carried to the World's Anti-Slavery Convention in London, in June 1840, which refused to recognize the eight women delegates from the United States, who included Lucretia Mott and Mrs \Vendill Phillips It was at this time that Mrs Mutt and Mrs. Stanton, a bride, whose husband. Henry B. Stanton, was a delegate, decided that on their return to the United States they would organize a movement especially for the rights of women. Mrs. Mott remained several months lecturing in England and Scotland and found considerable sentiment in favor of permitting women to vote, especially among the Friends, or Quakers. In 1847 Lucy Stone, recently graduated from Oberlin College, began speak ing for the rights of women.
A wave of reform swept over Europe about the middle of the 19th century and reached the shores of the United States. It carried the desire for liberty of thought, speech and action and for the redress of wrongs to human ity. This nation was seething with the discus sion of temperance and slavery. Such temper ance laws as had existed had been repealed and there was no regulation of the liquor business. The question of slavery had become acute by the admission of Tgxas into the Union as a slave State and intensified by the Fugitive Slave Law. Women were as vitally interested in these questions as were men and they could no longer remain silent and inactive. Their first timid attempts at speaking in public and taking part in conventions were made in the temperance movement and here they met with a determined attempt by the men to suppress them. In the 'History of Woman Suffrage' may be found detailed accounts of the way they were literally silenced at temperance conven tions, excluded from committees and forced to hold separate meetings. Their treatment by a part of the leaders in the anti-slavery move ment has been referred to.
The Society of Friends, or Quakers, had divided on the slavery question and as this sect had always recognized equality of rights their women especially resented the discriminations that were being made. In 1848 during the yearly meeting of the liberal branch in Water loo, Y., Elizabeth Cady Stanton went over from her home in the neighboring village of Seneca Falls to be with Lucretia Mott at the home of a mutual friend, Mary Ann McClin tock. Mrs. Motes sister, Martha C. \1'right, came from Auburn. The four women talked over the situation and Mrs. Mott and Mrs. Stanton decided tout into effect the resolution they had made in London eight ,years before to call a convention for a public discussion of the rights of women. So here in the Mc Clintock home on a Sunday morning in June these tour issued a 'Call' for the first woman's rights convention in all history and published it, unsigned, in a local paper. They then pre pared a declaration of rights modeled after the Declaration of Independence and a set of resolutions which demanded practically every right that women are enjoying at the present day, includin suffrage. The convention met in Seneca Falls, ls, 10, 20 July, in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and James Mott, of Phila delphia, the husband of Lucretia, and one of the most prominent Friends in the country, presided. As many as the church would hold were present; the declaration and resolutions were discussed and adopted, and here began the movement for woman suffrage which has continued without cessation.• So much attention was aroused that the con vention adjourned to meet 2 August in Roches ter, the nearest city. The newspapers gave wide publicity and in a short time press, pulpit and platform were denouncing the women. A spark was struck in the breasts of women throughout the country, who were beginning to rebel against the subordinate position they were forced to occupy, their lack of opportunity for education, the unjust laws and the efforts to bar them out from the great reform move ments of the day. The women anti-slavery speakers were sowing the seed and in April 1850 a women's rights convention was held in the Second Baptist Church of Salem, Ohio, and a memorial was adopted calling upon the convention which was about to make a new con stitution to put in a clause for woman suffrage. In 1850 the constitution of Indiana was revised and under the leadership of Robert Dale Owen the laws for women were liberalized beyond any then existing. In October 1851 a woman's rights convention was held in Dublin, Ind., and one appointed to meet in Richmond the next year. A woman's rights convention was held in West Chester, Pa., in June 1852, with prominent speakers from New York and Massa chusetts, and one appointed for Philadelphia the next year.