Cherokee Women at the Seneca Falls Convention

The female situation in the 1800's was nothing short of depressing.  Women had to conform to some of the most unfair personality and etiquette standards ever, as well as some of the most destructive physical standards ever, with corsets in style and giant intricate dresses being the most preferred fashion.  To top it off, women were made to conform to 4 characteristics of womanhood: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity to reach their most ideal potential.  Piety had to do with a woman's religious fervor, and involved the perfect female archetype using her loving, righteous mind to curb the sins and indulgences in our society- and one of those was lust.  The sin of lust is where purity makes its appearance, as any true woman would guard her virginity with her life-literally- or else the only form of redemption acceptable enough for a "fallen woman" was to die, for they were now less than human.  Men were exempt from this because they were naturally sex-driven.    Submissiveness was the most "scientifically-backed" of the the virtues, and it essentially taught that women were naturally subservient and inferior to men.  This view of inferiority contributed greatly to the last of the characteristics, domesticity, which created the "public sphere" and the "private sphere", the public sphere was the domain of man; harsh, cold, competitive, and full of temptations that could lead any man astray.  The private sphere was for women, who were supposed to stay in the home, and it was the duty of these frail, "useless but beautiful object(s)" to keep the men from running astray and falling prey to these vices.  It was these 4 characteristics, called "the cult of domesticity" that shaped the female lifestyle in the 1800's.

The Seneca Falls convention was meant to change all that.  In July 1848, a council met to discuss and decide the rights that should be given to women, and their declarations almost mirror another very important document, the Declaration of Independence.    It has some key changes however, for example,  instead of beginning the second line with "we hold these truths...that all men are created equal" the document states that "all men and women are created equal".  The declarations do leave some demands out, and it is easy to become confused as to why some groundbreaking demands are left out.  Women's right to vote is not mentioned at all, only implied, and although may seem strange it is actually rather cunning, because if all demands were put on the forefront, it could lead to a rise in hatred for women's rights, or even worse, a complete denial that they should exist.

One group that is strangely absent from the demands is the delegates of Cherokee descent.  It is understandable that Native Americans would be at the convention, because in their culture, women were equal to if not greater than men in society.  Concepts about husbands taking property instead of sharing it, demonization of divorce, or even the taking of a man's last name (a custom that was actually reversed in most native cultures, as clan placement was matrilinneal)  would be ultimately insane for the Cherokee delegation.  Yet their voices were not heard, because even at the Seneca falls convention the conference was dominated by wealthy whites.

Personally I believe that resolution number 3 is the most important "That woman is man's equal" because it shows that despite any beliefs one may have, you cannot be made to serve your equal, and vice versa.  I belief that on paper this resolution has been accomplished, but the issues themselves have much longer to go before we can reach perfection.  Be we are definitely improving.