Summary of the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan b. Anthony, and M.J. Gage, July 19, 1848:
There are two portions in the Seneca Falls Declaration, the first being the Declaration of Sentiments. This first portion was structured very similarly to the American Declaration of Independence. It copies the wording the the Declaration of Independence's intro and simply adds in phrases like "...all men and women are created equal...". This method both draws attention to the document, invokes the patriotism of the heroic Declaration of Independence, and takes a stab at the hypocritical irony of the glorified male struggle for independence and the suppression of women under the law. It further copies the Declaration of Independence by citing a list of grievances, most valid, some exaggerated, including such points as the historical lack of women's right to vote; the lack of women's civil rights, particularly for married women; her inability to participate in law, medicine, the church, or the government; her inability to earn a male's wages; the altered codes of moral behavior between men and women; and a woman's inability to receive a complete education at college. Finally, the authors acknowledge that they will be ridiculed, but that they will continue to petition for their rights and attempt to hold further conventions.
The second portion lists the resolutions of the women, which proclaim their views on the issues mentioned in their grievances and proclaim what ought to be accomplished. For example, the women resolve that it is their duty to secure their "sacred right to the elective franchise". They close by mentioning it is the right and duty of both men and women to promote "...every righteous cause by every righteous means..." and thus that the rights of women ought to be proclaimed.
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