Summary: The Seneca Falls Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19 to July 20, 1848, was the first woman's rights convention held in the United States. At that convention, the Declaration of Sentiments was written that outlined demands for women’s equality. This lesson uses video clips to have students understand the important people and events that led to the Declaration of Sentiments and then apply the text of the Declaration to today.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: Have the concepts of liberty, justice and/or equality changed during the time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
- CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
- CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.CivicsDP.3.a: Compare and contrast the successes and failures of political and social reform movements in New Jersey and the nation during the Antebellum period (i.e., the 1844 State Constitution, abolition, women’s rights, and temperance).
Link to Lesson: The Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments | C-SPAN Classroom
Supplemental Link: See also the Seneca Falls Convention mock mediation activity in The Struggle for Women’s Rights in the 19th Century lesson (Era 4) The Struggle for Women's Rights in the Nineteenth Century