[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 93 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6762-S6763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 35 URGING ISSUANCE OF A POSTAGE STAMP TO 
COMMEMORATE THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST WOMEN'S RIGHT CONVENTION

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

                            S. Con. Res. 35

       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 Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee of the United 
     States Postal Service should recommend to the Postmaster 
     General that such a stamp be issued.

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise along with my friend and 
colleague, Senator D'Amato, to submit a resolution that urges 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, NY. In 1980 I introduced legislation to 
commemorate the idea of equal rights for women by creating the Women's 
Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls. That is where the 
Declaration of Sentiments was signed in 1848, stating that ``all men 
and women are created equal'' and that women should have equal 
political rights with men. From this beginning sprang the 19th 
amendment and many other advances for women this century and last.
  Western New York was home to an emerging reform movement during the 
1830's and 1840's. Among reformers settling in Seneca Falls were Quaker 
women such as Lucretia Mott who took an active role in the effort to 
end slavery. For Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, reform also included demanding rights for 
women. In July 1848, they planned the convention and hammered out a 
formal list of grievances based on the Declaration of Independence, 
denouncing inequities in property rights, education, employment, 
religion, marriage and family, and suffrage. On July 19, the 
Declaration of Sentiments was presented before an audience of 300.
  The Women's Rights Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments were 
a vital early step toward reversing these injustices against women. 
Many historians consider the convention to be one of the most important 
events in the history of the women's movement in the United States.
  The women of Seneca Falls challenged America to social revolution 
with a list of demands that touched upon every aspect of life. Testing 
different approaches, the early women's rights leaders came to view the 
ballot as the best way to challenge the system, but they did not limit 
their efforts to this one issue. Fifty years after

[[Page S6763]]

the convention, women could claim property rights, employment and 
educational opportunities, divorce and child custody laws, and 
increased social freedoms. By the early 20th century, a coalition of 
suffragists, temperance groups, reform-minded politicians, and women's 
social welfare organizations mustered a successful push for the vote.
  Today Congress honors Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, along 
with Susan B. Anthony, as revolutionary leaders of the women's movement 
by placing a statue of them in the Capitol Rotunda next to statues of 
other leaders in our Nation's history such as George Washington, 
Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
  It is only fitting that a stamp be issued commemorating this historic 
anniversary highlighting the importance of continuing this struggle for 
equal rights and opportunity for women in areas such as health care, 
education, employment, and pay equity.
  Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today with my friend and 
colleague, the senior Senator from New York, Senator Moynihan, to 
submit concurrent resolution to commemorate the 150th anniversary of 
the first Women's Rights Convention through the issuance of a U.S. 
postage stamp.
  American women in the middle part of the 19th century had few 
distinguishable rights. They did not possess the right to vote, 
participate in government and if married, were not allowed to own 
property or keep wages if they worked outside of the home. In the 
summer of 1848, a group of five women sought to change these 
circumstances.
  On July 19 and 20, 1848, 300 women and men converged on Wesleyan 
Methodist Church in Seneca Falls, NY to consider ``the social, civil 
and religious condition of women'' at that time. Led by Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Jane Hunt, Ann McClintock and Martha Wright, a 
Declaration of Sentiments was presented to the audience which listed 
among them ``all men and women are created equal'' and that ``women's 
political equality with man is the legitimate outgrowth of the 
fundamental principles of our government as set forth in the 
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.''
  This historic Convention marked a turning point in the condition of 
women in American society. The public airing of the Declaration of 
Sentiments began a progressive pursuit of equality for women that has 
endured to this day.
  The issuance of this stamp will honor the courage that these early 
leaders had in presenting their convictions and pursuing change for all 
women. Through the issuance of a commemorative stamp, the commitment to 
women's rights will be celebrated. I encourage my colleagues to join 
Senator Moynihan and me by cosponsoring this measure.

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