We the People: Women's Rights
Women heard the calls of “no taxation without representation” during the American Revolution, but they were still denied the right to vote. During the abolition and temperance movements of the 19th century, women worked for social reforms while bearing injustices in their own lives. Women were not only denied a voice in government, but also the ability to pursue their education, to access most employment, and to have an active role in the church.
By the middle of the 19th century, women’s rights activists came together to work for the right to vote, with the idea that a voice in government would make other necessary reforms more achievable. When the vote was won in New York State in 1917, and federally in 1920, women immediately turned to the goal of enshrining women’s rights in the United States Constitution through the Equal Rights Amendment.
Highlights
Meredith Bergmann
1/3 scale model
Women’s Rights Pioneers is the first monument to honor real women in New York City’s Central Park. It depicts three leaders of the 19th century women’s rights movement in New York and nationally: Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony.
New York State Museum, H-2023.3.1
On October 27, 1917, ten days before Election Day, thousands of women marched for suffrage in New York City. This banner was carried by women from Orange County.
New York State Museum, H-1974.174.1
“National Woman’s Party, E.R.A., Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
New York State Museum, H-2016.32.28
In her father’s law office, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) witnessed widows stripped of property they brought into marriage. Law clerks teased that her new coral necklace could be locked away or sold by her husband without her permission. Her outrage fueled her work for women’s rights.
New York State Museum, H-1972.115.150
Additional Resources
Talking Statues
Listen to an imagined conversation between Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton that brings their voices and their fight for women’s rights to life through this mobile-friendly audio experience, available in English and Spanish.