[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 35 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 35

   Urging the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative 
 postage stamp to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Women's 
           Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 27, 1997

  Mr. Moynihan (for himself and Mr. D'Amato) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Urging the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative 
 postage stamp to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Women's 
           Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York.

Whereas 1998 marks the 150th anniversary of the first Women's Rights Convention, 
        which was held at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Seneca Falls, New 
        York, on July 19 and 20, 1848;
Whereas the Women's Rights Convention was called to consider ``the Social, 
        Civil, and Religious Condition of Women'';
Whereas the Women's Rights Convention is considered by many historians to be one 
        of the most important events in the history of the women's movement in 
        the United States;
Whereas the Convention participants issued a Declaration of Sentiments which was 
        modeled after the Declaration of Independence;
Whereas the Declaration of Sentiments further included a list of the 
        ``injustices'' that were imposed on women over the centuries, such as 
        denying them the right to participate in government, to retain their 
        civil rights after marriage, to own property, to keep their wages, to 
        vote, and to pursue a college education;
Whereas the Women's Rights Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments was a 
        vital early step toward reversing such injustices;
Whereas the participants in the Women's Rights Convention also played a 
        prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery;
Whereas commemorating this historic anniversary will highlight the importance of 
        continuing the struggle for equal rights and opportunity for women in 
        such areas as health care, education, employment, and pay equity;
Whereas Congress recently honored Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the 
        organizers of the Women's Rights Convention, along with Susan B. 
        Anthony, as revolutionary leaders of the women's movement by placing a 
        statue of them in the Capitol Rotunda with statues of other 
        revolutionary leaders of our Nation's history such as George Washington, 
        Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr.;
Whereas a portion of this statue purposefully was left unfinished in 1921, the 
        year following passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right 
        to vote, to signify the need to continue working for an Equal Rights 
        Amendment, pay and pension equity, and other women's rights;
Whereas, in light of the fact that commemorative stamps have recently been 
        issued to honor the marathon, the lunar new year, and football coaches, 
        honoring a historic convention that led to many breakthroughs in the 
        history of the women's rights movement is highly appropriate;
Whereas honoring the first Women's Rights Convention is educational, 
        historically important, and of widespread national appeal;
Whereas stamp issuance and stamp collecting teach children about our Nation's 
        history and our Nation's culture; and
Whereas in the history of the struggle for equality, the significance of this 
        event is immeasurable: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That--
            (1) a postage stamp should be issued to commemorate the 
        150th anniversary of the first Women's Rights Convention; and
            (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee of the United 
        States Postal Service should recommend to the Postmaster 
        General that such a stamp be issued.
                                 <all>