Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement Quotes

“The perfectibility of humankind was a critical subtext of the Second Great Awakening. With enough human energy directed at addressing a problem, a solution seemed possible. Ministers urged parishioners to demonstrate the depth of their faith and reach out to help the needy and less fortunate.”
― Sally G. McMillen, Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement

“And thus the greatest movement of the century was inaugurated. I say greatest, because through the elevation of woman all humanity is lifted to a higher plane of action.”
― Sally G. McMillen, Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement

“Tocqueville observed the pronounced differences in the legal standing of single and married women. When American women married, he noted, they seemed to retreat into submission, overwhelmed by the demands of running a household and bearing and rearing children. Tocqueville concluded that “a woman forfeits her independence forever when she embraces matrimony.” The idealization of the separate spheres of influence and activity defining men’s and women’s existence struck him as unique. But Tocqueville also felt that American women exhibited an intelligence and independence rarely found in European women.”
― Sally G. McMillen, Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement