The Movement Of Womens Rights :: Womens Suffrage essays research papers

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens rouse change the world. Indeed, its the only thing that ever has. That was Margaret Meads conclusion after a life while of observing very diverse cultures around the world. Her insight has been borne out time and again throughout the development of this country of ours. Being allowed to live life in an atmosphere of religious freedom, having a voice in the government you verify with your taxes, living free of lifelong enslavement by a nonher person. Many once considered these beliefs about how life should and must be lived outlandish. But visionaries whose steadfast realise brought about changed minds and attitudes fervently held these beliefs. Now these beliefs are commonly shared crosswise U.S. society. 1998 marks the 150th Anniversary of a movement by women to achieve extensive civil rights in this country. The staggering changes for women that have come about over those seven generations in family life, in reli gion, in government, in employment, in education - these changes did not just happen spontaneously. Women themselves made these changes happen, very deliberately. Women have not been the passive recipients of miraculous changes in laws and human nature. Seven generations of women have come together to adjoin these changes in the most democratic ways through meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance. Throughout 1998, the 150th anniversary of the Womens Rights Movement is being celebrated across the nation with programs and events taking every form imaginable. Like many amazing stories, the history of the Womens Rights Movement began with a small group of people questioning wherefore human lives were being unfairly constricted. The Womens Rights Movement marks July 13, 1848 as its beginning. On that sweltering summer day in upstate New York, a young housewife and mother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was invited to tea with four women friends. When the course of their conversation turned to the situation of women, Stanton poured out her discontent with the limitations placed on her own situation nether Americas new democracy. Surely the new republic would benefit from having its women play more active roles throughout society. Stantons friends agreed with her, passionately. Today we are living the legacy of this good afternoon conversation among women friends. Throughout 1998, events celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Womens Rights Movement are looking at the massive changes these women set in motion when they daringly agreed to call together the worlds first Womens Rights Convention.