“The history of mankind 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” (Stanton).
In this passage, Stanton states that the history of mankind is full of instances of men taking advantage of and violating the most basic rights of women. She further makes this point by discussing the conditions women were living under at the time. Women were deprived of a right so absolute and fundamental that it was given to any and every man, with a few exceptions. She explains how denying women this one right essentially meant that the laws that they were governed by and had to obey did not and, more often than not, could not take into consideration the viewpoints of the women. Women had absolutely no representation and no channel to fight for any representation. Simply put, women were nonexistent in the eyes of the law and their issues, rights, and concerns held no value.
I chose this quote because of how timely it is since 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the state of New York. In 1917, New York became the first state to pass legislation that granted women the right to vote and as a woman living in New York, it is nice to realize the progress we have made over the last 100 years. Where once women were civilly dead, just last year we came as close as we have ever come to electing our first female President. Where women were once not permitted to exercise their right to the elective franchise, today we don "I voted" stickers. The same halls of legislation that once were deaf to women's causes, now have elected female officials walking through them. Of course, there is still a lot more that needs to be done, we have only managed to make a minor dent in the oppressive walls that hold women back but for once it feels good to celebrate the steps we have taken in the right direction.
In this passage, Stanton states that the history of mankind is full of instances of men taking advantage of and violating the most basic rights of women. She further makes this point by discussing the conditions women were living under at the time. Women were deprived of a right so absolute and fundamental that it was given to any and every man, with a few exceptions. She explains how denying women this one right essentially meant that the laws that they were governed by and had to obey did not and, more often than not, could not take into consideration the viewpoints of the women. Women had absolutely no representation and no channel to fight for any representation. Simply put, women were nonexistent in the eyes of the law and their issues, rights, and concerns held no value.
I chose this quote because of how timely it is since 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the state of New York. In 1917, New York became the first state to pass legislation that granted women the right to vote and as a woman living in New York, it is nice to realize the progress we have made over the last 100 years. Where once women were civilly dead, just last year we came as close as we have ever come to electing our first female President. Where women were once not permitted to exercise their right to the elective franchise, today we don "I voted" stickers. The same halls of legislation that once were deaf to women's causes, now have elected female officials walking through them. Of course, there is still a lot more that needs to be done, we have only managed to make a minor dent in the oppressive walls that hold women back but for once it feels good to celebrate the steps we have taken in the right direction.
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