CE Campaign to promote women’s suffrage in New York

The Declaration of Sentiments

On Election Day in 1920, millions of American women exercised their right to vote for the
first time. For almost eighty years, women (and men) had been fighting to win that right.
In 1848, the Declaration of Sentiments, modeled on the Declaration of Independence,
marked the beginning of the campaign for women’s suffrage.

The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of
man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over
her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.

He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.

He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men –
both natives and foreigners.

Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving
her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.

He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.

He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.

In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he

becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master – the law giving him power to deprive her
of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.

He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education – all colleges being
closed against her.
He has endeavored, in every way that he could to destroy her confidence in her own
powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject
life.

Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their
social and religious degradation, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the
rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.

Firmly relying upon the final triumph of the Right and the True, we do this day affix our
signatures to this declaration.

Report of the Woman’s Rights Convention, Seneca Falls, 1848, signed by 68 women and 32
men

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling - Questions -

Put yourself in women’s shoes

React to the picture.

What is the historical context?

What is the message conveyed?

Now turn to the text.

What kind of document is it?

Anticipate the content.

Look at the date. Imagine what society was like in those days.

Pick out verbs showing the actions men took to dominate women.

What did women want? Explain why.

TIP Show that things have changed by using used to + V ou would + V.

TRAINING TASK Learn to speak like a passionate advocate! Read the Declaration of
Sentiments aloud, with conviction and emotion.

VOCAB Look for the English equivalent of the following French words:

Nouns

un châtiment corporel les liens du mariage

disenfranchisement le droit de vote

les moyens les préjudices

l’humanité l’obéissance

le salaire, la paie

Adjectives

repoussant(e) limité(e) naïf(ve)

Verbs

coller, attribuer refuser [qqch] [à qqn]

gagner [un salaire] essayer de faire [qqch]

diminuer compter sur [qqch]

soumettre [qqch]

Other

ainsi complet

à cause de [qqch] dans les faits

HOW TO... Express oppression

forcer [qqn] à faire [qqch]

refuser à [qqn] le droit de faire [qqch]

priver [qqn] de [qqch]

cacher [qqch] à [qqn]

REMEMBER Used to / didn’t use to

Men used to deprive women of the elective franchise.

used to➝used to deprive➝base verbale

Autrefois, les hommes privaient les femmes du droit de vote.