“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women 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…” (Hymowitz) How many times has the average American heard these words, spoken with beaming pride and earnest patriotism? So often echoed, this opening line of the Declaration of Independence, perhaps the most important historical document to have defined the United States of America, but does the common individual really listen? Perhaps, then a person would notice that there is a slight difference in the quote above, and the actual quote from the famous declaration written by Thomas Jefferson. In fact, there is only a difference of two words in the entire sentence, but those two little words made all the difference to a large group of reformers gathered at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.
Elizabeth Stanton read aloud the Declaration of Sentiments to her fellow feminists, which began exactly as the Declaration of Independence, exactly, that is, apart from two words: ‘and women.’ Although women were not granted similar rights or opportunities until later in the overall history of the
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They received the right to vote, and other rights trickled in as well, yet complete equality between sexes was not reached. The American woman would continue to struggle against discriminations, stereotypes, and injustice for many years to come. More recently, equal opportunity throughout the workforce has been of great dispute, as the average wage of women remain significantly less than that of males. Though in some ways, true and complete equality between the sexes has not been fully realized, women’s rights have made huge progress over time as a direct result of the efforts of the Women’s Rights Movements and its many