[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                A SALUTE TO THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARTIN FROST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 15, 1998

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 150th 
anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement.
  In Seneca Falls, New York in the summer of 1848, the first convention 
of American women was held. It was there that the women of America 
officially began their struggle toward empowerment. On the 150th 
anniversary of the landmark Seneca Falls convention, the history of the 
United States is indelibly marked with the amazing accomplishments of 
its women. As Congress prepares to salute the women of our nation on 
this important anniversary, I would like to take this opportunity to 
celebrate 150 years of women's achievement.
  The Seneca Falls participants, led by women's rights pioneers 
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, shared a hopeful vision of 
the future of women in America. The women came together to demand fair 
treatment in every aspect of American life. In their Declaration 
Sentiments, the Seneca Falls women offered a new vision of equality in 
America: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and 
women are created equal.''
  As women's leaders fought for equal property and voting rights, 
American women busily achieved in other areas. In 1872, Charlotte E. 
Ray became the first American woman to graduate law school. In 1916, 
Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to the 
Congress of the United States. In 1920, women celebrated a major 
victory as the 19th Amendment was signed into law, guaranteeing the 
women of America the right to vote.
  American women have displayed remarkable talent in almost every 
imaginable field of endeavor. Authors such as Louisa May Alcott, 
Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Toni Morrison have contributed great works 
to American literature. In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman 
to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean; fifty-two years later, Dr. 
Kathryn Sullivan became the first woman to walk in space.
  One hundred and fifty years after the Seneca Falls convention, we see 
just how far women have come in America. Today, Justice Sandra Day 
O'Connor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg both sit on the Supreme Court, 
and Secretary of State Madeline Albright is the first woman to hold 
that prestigious office. I salute those women, past and present, who 
fought and continue to fight to achieve their goals of freedom.

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