ABSTRACT

Elizabeth Cady Stanton is widely considered to be the founder of the early women’s rights movement in America. She convened the first convention dedicated specifically to women’s rights in America, at Seneca Falls, New York, and she is credited with authoring the Declaration of Sentiments, arguably the founding document of the American women’s rights movement. Stanton’s unwavering insistence on women’s enfranchisement drove much of her efforts. The History of Woman Suffrage (1881–1922), which Stanton initiated and coedited, is considered the definitive account of the early movement. For many commentators, the radicalism of Stanton’s claims sets her apart from other reformers. However, I argue that another women’s rights advocate, Lucretia Mott, is as radical as Stanton and, in some respects, perhaps more so. Mott held a comprehensive view of women’s rights that included, but was not limited to, women’s suffrage. Whereas Stanton sought to establish an organized reform movement and craft the official account of its origins, Mott resisted these efforts, instead preferring informal networks of activism and a more inclusive historical understanding. Whereas Stanton has been criticized for her elitist and racist views, Mott’s lifelong commitment to abolitionism and human rights never wavered.

摘要

伊丽莎白·卡迪·斯坦顿（Elizabeth Cady Stanton）被广泛认为是美国早期妇女权利运动的创始人。她在纽约的塞内卡瀑布市召开了第一届专门针对美国妇女权利的公约，并以《情感宣言》（可以说是美国妇女权利运动的创始文件）而著称。斯坦顿坚定不移地坚持妇女权利，这推动了她的大部分努力。妇女选举权的历史斯坦顿（Stanton）发起和共同编辑的（1881-1922）被认为是早期运动的权威性描述。对于许多评论员来说，斯坦顿主张的激进主义使她与其他改革者区分开来。但是，我认为另一位妇女权利倡导者卢克莱蒂娅·莫特（Lucretia Mott）和斯坦顿一样激进，在某些方面也许更是如此。莫特对妇女权利拥有全面的看法，包括但不限于妇女选举权。斯坦顿（Stanton）试图建立一个有组织的改革运动，并对其起源进行官方描述，而莫特（Mott）则拒绝了这些努力，而是选择了非正式的行动主义网络和更具包容性的历史理解。斯坦顿（Stanton）的精英主义和种族主义观点遭到批评，而莫特（Mott）对废除奴隶制和人权的终生承诺从未动摇。