Paul Cooney
Mr. DeCarlo
AP American
7 November 2006

LAD 9- Declaration of Sentiments

Following the form of the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Sentiments in July 19, 1848, stated that all men and women are created equal and should enjoy the same rights. The principle author Elizabeth Cady Stanton put forth bold ideas regarding women’s rights and roles in society. Some of the major injustices brought to light by the Declaration were: women prohibited to the elective franchise, they were forced to obey laws in which they had no say in, all wages earned by women were collected by the husband and regarded as his money/property, and all women were forbidden to receive an education. The women and the few men at the convention then resolved that women be treated as equals to their male counterparts. The document was a source of much controversy, even during a time in which women’s rights were advocated for. Many thought that it may have been too big of a step too soon. One important member at the convention was Frederick Douglass who helped pass some of the resolutions named in the Declaration of Sentiments.