-
First's Women's Rights Convention
In Sceneca Falls, New York, the first convention for women's rights is convened. A Declaration of Sentiments, based on the Declaration of Independence, is signed by 68 women and 32 men. It lists grievances and establishes the goals for the women's rights movement. Twelve resolutions advocating for women's voting rights and equal legal status for men and women are adopted. -
"Ain't I a Women?"
Sojourner Truth. The speech, known for its powerful refrain "Ain't I a Woman?", argued for the equality of women, particularly Black women, who were often excluded from the women's rights movement.
Truth challenged the prevailing societal views of women, particularly those that suggested women were weak and needed protection.
She highlighted her own experiences as a formerly enslaved woman and a working woman, demonstrating her strength and capabilities. -
Fredrick Douglass
Douglass's commitment to women's rights from his belief in universal equality, stating, "Right is of no sex, truth is of no color". He was one of the few men present at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, women's rights convention, and he spoke in favor of women's suffrage, arguing that women were born with equal rights to men. Douglass signed the Declaration of Sentiments, a document that outlined the demands for women's rights, including suffrage, and he was the only African American to do so. -
The Anti-Suffrage Party is founded
The Anti-Suffrage Party is founded. Many people, including prominent women, such as Ellen Sherman, wife of General William Tecumseh Sherman, challenged the notion of suffrage as a “natural right,” and opposed its extension to women. In their view, women’s political participation threatened their important roles as wives, mothers, educators, and philanthropists. -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” -
Victoria Woodhull
Victoria Woodhull addresses the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, arguing that women have the right to vote under the 14th Amendment. The committee rejects her argument.