Elizabeth Cady-Stanton was driven by her moral purpose. She spent her entire life trying to right the injustices she saw in the world. Not only through her fight for women’s rights but also as an abolitionist. She believed that all people were created equal. She wrote in the Declaration of the Sentiments in July of 1848, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal…”(Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 1). She never wavered from this vision. However, she would not have been able to implement change without her ability to develop relationships.

It was Cady-Stanton’s intimate relationships that enabled her to share her ideas with the world. The two most significant relationships she had were with Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott. Cady-Stanton was empowered by her relationships. She held rallies with her companions. She traveled with them to conferences. When she wasn’t with them she wrote them letters about her convictions and ideas. While living in Boston she wrote, “I attend all sorts & sizes of meetings & lectures. I consider myself in a kind of moral museum” (Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 32). Together these women developed additional relationships encouraging and inspiring women everywhere as they spoke. These relationships helped them to understand the hurdles they had to overcome.

Cady-Stanton knew change would be a life-long challenge. In a letter to her mother she wrote “all sorts of new ideas are seething, but I haven’t either the time or place to enumerate them and if I did you and my good father would probably balk at most of them”(Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 32). Even within her own, somewhat liberal, family her ideas were viewed as controversial. To the greater public she was seen as a troublemaker. Cady-Stanton said “ It is our duty to assert and reassert this right to vote, to agitate, discuss and petition, until out political equality by fully recognized”(Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 44).

Knowing the battle for equal rights would not be easy Cady-Stanton empowered herself first with knowledge. She started as a young girl sneaking into her father’s law library. She begged for college and attended as much schooling as a wealthy family could properly allow a girl of her age. She traveled hearing other people speak and was enlightened by the ideas she heard. She knew learning about others ideas only strengthened her own.

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton understood collaboration of many different women’s ideas would be the key to achieving her goals. She stimulated conversations that would have never taken place otherwise. Conversations that would someday change society. She held conventions and discussion forums all over the world. The most famous of these was the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention,on July 19th and 20th 1848, which was the first of its kind.

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton’s ability to lead stemmed primarily from her perseverance. As a historical figure Cady-Stanton was revolutionary, however, in her time she was viewed as a radical. She was called a heretic. One paper referred to her as a “pestiferous fanatic” (Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 97). None of the criticism she received caused her to falter in her beliefs. She felt that is was her responsibility to fight for women’s rights.

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton also had charisma. She knew how to have people listen to her. Coupled with her ability to write speeches that persuaded hundreds to her way of thinking she was a born orator. Cady-Stanton would be seen as having the strength to woo.

One of the most significant leaderships qualities Cady-Stanton exhibited was her ability to judge people. She surrounded herself with like-minded people. The people that shared Cady-Stanton’s cause believed in her vision and were inspired by her. They, however, did not follow blindly. Women like Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony traveled the country and even the world with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but often found her ideas to be too radical. Cady-Stanton even said “…As all women are supposed to be under the thumb of a man, I prefer a tyrant of my own sex, so I shall not deny the patent fact of my subjection; for I do believe that I have developed into much more of a women under Susan’s jurisdiction”(Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 200).

Ultimately, it was Elizabeth Cady-Stanton’s vision that made her a leader. She had the ability to see a different way of life for women. She started with the idea that inequality was not acceptable and fought her whole life to change it.

There was no turning point or significant moment for Elizabeth Cady-Stanton, she was born with her ideals. She often referenced a comment her father made to her; “I wish you were a boy” (Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 12); Mr. Cady at the time was actually commenting on the insightful nature of his daughter and felt disappointed for her that her intelligence could never develop into a real career as a mans could. Also, as a child Elizabeth Cady-Stanton remembered family and friends visiting her mother after the birth of her younger sister, Catherine. “What a pity it is she is a girl!”(Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 97) she had heard people say.

One other major childhood moment, that Cady-Stanton often pointed to as important to her development as an activist, was a meeting between her father and a client. Cady-Stanton’s father was a lawyer who a female client visited one day. Elizabeth Cady overheard that the woman’s husband had sold her farm, an inheritance she had received. As a result she and her children no longer had a place to live. Mr. Cady explained that she had no legal recourse; as a wife she had no rights. When Elizabeth Cady spoke to her father about how wrong she felt the woman’s situation was he advised, “You must go to Albany and talk to the legislators…and see if you can persuade them to pass new laws” (Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 14).

Later in life, Elizabeth Cady-Stanton took her father’s advice she fought to change laws. She failed more times than she won. But she never stopped fighting.

“We shall some day be heeded, and …everybody will think it was always so, just exactly as many young people think that all the privileges, all the freedom, all the enjoyments which woman now processes always were hers. They have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon today has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past.” (Ward & Burns, 1999, p. 202)
- Elizabeth Cady-Stanton

My Choice

I chose Elizabeth Cady-Stanton because I have always been in awe of her. She never let circumstance stand in her way. I also feel that she never really knew the difference she had made. While she was alive many of the laws governing women in marriage were changed. Women were given more rights to property. They were also granted more rights to raising their children. But she never got to she her ultimate goal come true. Plus, she had seven children that alone is a feat!

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton was a leader. She led women in a time when they had little or no rights. Growing up Cady-Stanton was provided an education that most girls were not. She attended a private academy until she was 16 years old. Her father was an attorney and she spent long hours reading in his library. It may have been this time that provided her with the background she needed for her later struggles.

Cady-Stanton is most known for her work with women's right. Not only did she fight for women to have the right to vote, but she also wanted women to have more rights in a marriage. During her own wedding she demanded the word "obey" be taken out of her vows. Elizabeth Cady married Henry Brewster Stanton and eventually had seven children.

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton was a wife and mother but never abandoned her beliefs that women could be and SHOULD be more. Her friendships with women like Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony provided her with the support she needed to carry her message to the greater public. As president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association Cady-Stanton spoke publicly about the unjust treatment of women.

Elizabeth Cady-Stanton died in October of 1902, almost 20 years before the passing of the 19 th amendment.