9781422274064

had been inspired by the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, where they had meet in 1840. They had been working to end slavery and to gain equal rights for free blacks. Now they wanted to do the same for women. Both men and women participated in the Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. The delegates there agreed that American women were autonomous individuals and deserved the right to participate fully in politics and the workplace. The delegates produced a document called the Declaration of Sentiments, which proclaimed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 5 The fight for female suffrage lasted many decades reverses and changes in strategy. The campaign featured

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Gender Equality in the United States

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