[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12724-12725]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ELIZABETH CADY STANTON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 11, 2017

  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize one of 
the most influential members of the women's suffrage movement.
  Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, New York in 1815. From 
a young age, Stanton showed interest in pressing social issues 
affecting American society, which would eventually drive her to become 
a force for change. At her father's law office, she witnessed the 
inequitable laws restricting women's freedom and abilities to inherit 
property. As a young mother, Stanton advocated for equal education and 
freedom of expression for all of her children, no matter their gender. 
Stanton was also heavily involved with the abolitionist movement; 
however, frustration over the exclusion of women from many of the local 
meetings and proceedings led her to focus her efforts on a different 
mission.
  Along with fellow reformer Susan B. Anthony, Stanton launched a 
crusade to ensure that women's rights were brought to the forefront of 
national debate. While Anthony served as the movement's public face, 
Stanton remained behind the scenes, guiding the movement's direction 
and agenda.
  Perhaps Stanton's most defining moment was the delivery of her 
Declaration of Sentiments at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, the 
first women's rights conference ever

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held in the United States. At the convention, Stanton recited a 
familiar testimony with a subtle yet resonant sentiment, ``We hold 
these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created 
equal''.
  In the years following the Civil War, Stanton continued her work for 
women's suffrage, serving as the president of the National Women's 
Suffrage Association from 1865 to 1893. In 1866, she ran for a 
Congressional seat in New York and received the first votes ever cast 
for a female candidate.
  Elizabeth Cady Stanton passed away in 1902, seventeen years prior to 
the enactment of the 19th amendment. Her dedication to removing the 
barriers of gender inequality exists as an act all women can look to 
for inspiration and courage. And as Stanton once noted, ``the best 
protection any woman can have . . . is courage.'' In New York's 21'' 
District, we are proud of Stanton's legacy as an advocate for liberty 
and equality.

                          ____________________