“We hold these truths to be self-evident”

Excerpted, minor editing by Carolyn Bennett

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions

Woman’s Rights Convention, Held at Seneca Falls, 19-20 July 1848

In the Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, vol. 1, in the School of Anti-Slavery, 1840 to 1866, ed. Ann D. Gordon (New Brunswick, N.J., 1997),© Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The morning of July 19, 1848, at 11 o’clock

The Woman’s Rights Convention assembled. . . .

Elizabeth Cady Stanton read the Declaration of Sentiments offered for acceptance by the Convention. A proposition was made to have it reread by paragraph, and after much consideration, some changes were suggested and adopted. The propriety of obtaining the signatures of men to the Declaration was discussed in an animated manner: a vote in favor was given; but concluding that the final decision would be the legitimate business of the next day, it was referred.

The afternoon of the 19th 

The reading of the Declaration was called for, an addition having been inserted since the morning session. A vote taken upon the amendment was carried, and papers circulated to obtain signatures. Resolutions were then read:…

Thursday Morning the Convention assembled at the hour appointed. 

James Mott [husband of Lucretia Mott] of Philadelphia was in the Chair. After the reading of the minutes of the previous day, Elizabeth Cady Stanton again read followed by free discussion of the Declaration of Sentiments, unanimously adopted as —

Declaration of Sentiments

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them , a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.

W

e 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.

Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience hath shown that [humankind] are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity [that] constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled.

The history of [humankind] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. 

He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. 

He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. 

He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men—both natives and foreigners.  

Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.  

He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. 

He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.  

He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master—the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.  

He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes of divorce; in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given; as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women—the law, in all cases, going upon the false supposition of the supremacy of man, and giving all power into his hands.  

After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government [that] recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it.  

He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration.  

He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction, which he considers most honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known.  

He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education—all colleges being closed against her.  

He allows her in Church as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the Church.  

He has created a false public sentiment, by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies [that] exclude women from society, are not only tolerated but deemed of little account in man.  

He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and her God.  

He has endeavored, in every way that he could to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.

N

ow, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation,—in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.

In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule; but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to effect our object. We shall employ agents, circulate tracts, petition the State and national Legislatures, and endeavor to enlist the pulpit and the press in our behalf. We hope this Convention will be followed by a series of Conventions, embracing every part of the country.

Firmly relying upon the final triumph of the Right and the True, we do this day affix our signatures to this declaration.

At the appointed hour, the meeting convened. 

The minutes were read. The resolutions of the day before were read and taken up separately, some from their self-evident truth eliciting little remark; others some criticism and much debate, some slight alterations; they passed finally by a large majority.

Lucretia Mott spoke in the evening session 
offering this resolution:

Resolved, That the speedy success of our cause depends upon the zealous and untiring efforts of both men and women, for the overthrow of the monopoly of the pulpit, and for the securing to woman an equal participation with men in the various trades, professions and commerce. The Resolution was adopted.

T

he Woman’s Rights Convention held at Seneca Falls, New York, in July 1848 unanimously adopted the Declaration of Sentiments 

Sources and notes

Report of the Woman’s Rights Convention, Held at Seneca Falls, N.Y., July 19th and 20th, 1848 (Rochester, 1848).

The Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Papers Project

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions

Woman's Rights Convention, Held at Seneca Falls, 19-20 July 1848, as published in the Selected Papers, Volume 1, ©1997 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Prepared for the Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, vol. 1, in the School of Anti-Slavery, 1840 to 1866, ed. Ann D. Gordon (New Brunswick, N.J., 1997).   All Contents © Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

©Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. http://ecssba.rutgers.edu/docs/seneca.html

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