Famous Females: Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I've decided to declare Friday blog postings dedicated to Famous Females. I'd like to have a list of 100 women at my finger tips to inspire my daughters. Some will be women who have overcome the challenge of basic right for women, some will have achieved some greatness in other ways, and some may be obscure women who deserve to be famous.

So the woman I'd like to start with is Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She was born in 1815. She's a woman in history who deserves more notoriety than she gets. She has been credited with organizing the first women's movement and the first women's suffrage movement. She was a close friend of Susan B. Anthony and these two women working together dedicated their lives to the rights of women.

Elizabeth not only worked to get women the vote in the US but was also responsible for driving issues related to women's rights to work, to have access to the money their earned and to own property. So much of this we take for granted today and yet it wasn't that long ago that, really its not many generations when that wasn't possible, in the lifetime of my great-great-great-grandmother.

I find it amazing that the two women had to oppose the 14th and 15th amendments that were about giving black men the right to vote, because of their strong belief that the Constitution was meant to apply to all people not just men. Elizabeth had been raised in a house where black slaves would hide when escaping north, she had been a major supporter of anti-slave movement, but was utterly frustrated that while the amendment was being changed to accomodate men of color society refused to offer women the same rights.

Elizabeth was exceptional, and although she married and had 7 children she worked tirelessly in her writings and was often the words and strategies behind Susan who had the freedom to travel and speak at more events. Elizabeth wrote many documents, including the Women's bible.

I learned about Elizabeth through a wonderful PBS documentary, Not for Ourselves Alone. My daughters will learn about Elizabeth and know about how much she shaped women's lives.