COVE

This picture is a sketch of the signing of the Declaration of Sentiments. It is important because you see women in the picture. Women making history and creating equality for all women in the future. Usually, in important pictures like these, you just see white men. Instead powerful women are behind the desk signing the Declaration. The Declaration of Sentiments was produced by the convention leaders of the Seneca Falls Convention.  It used the Declaration of Independence as a basis for its argument.  The Declaration of Sentiments is in support of women’s suffrage. One of the concepts of the Declaration of Sentiments was women’s right to vote.  This is why the Declaration of Sentiments is such an important part of history. The Declaration has 100 signatures on it (68 women, 32 men). Having more women signatures on the document is a powerful statement in itself.  The Declaration begins by asserting the equality to both men and women and that both genders have the right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The document insists the women have the same rights and opportunities as men. It states that women are not just good for being wives.  Many of the abolitionists that signed the document eventually withdrew their names because of the ridicule and criticism they got from signing once it was made public. Even though a lot of people agreed with the movement, not everybody was ready to accept change and what the women were demanding.  The historic impact of the document resides in its revolutionary attack on the institutions that restricted 19th century women. This picture has such an impact because it illustrates one of the first moments in history that women were seen as powerful and no longer letting their voices be silenced. 

Cokely, Carrie L. “Declaration of Sentiments.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 Dec. 2017, www.britannica.com/event/Declaration-of-Sentiments. 

“The Declaration of Sentiments by the Seneca Falls Conference (1848).” NEH, 19 Aug. 2014, edsitement.neh.gov/closer-readings/declaration-sentiments-seneca-falls-conference-1848.