"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the peoples of the earth a position different from that which they hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course. 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 inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" (Elizabeth Cady Stanton)
This quote illustrates the problems of gender inequality. Stanton demonstrates that both men and women are in fact equal and that "nature's God" has created them equivalent to one another. She states that women should not have to fight for equality, but should simply already have it, since that is how God created us; equal and alike. This statement has great significance, since it is the opening lines of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document signed in 1848. It was presented at the first women's right conference held that same year in New York, and is credited by many historians as the initiation of the first women's suffrage movement in the U.S.A. This quote instigated the women's rights movement, and for that reason, it is an important and noteworthy moment in history.
No comments:
Post a Comment