Lucretia Mott

Personal Statement:

      My name is Lucretia Mott. I was born on January 3, 1793 in Nantucket Massachusetts and died 87 years later on November 11, 1880. I was born and raised in a Quaker family. At the age of 13 I went to a boarding academy in the Hudson Valley. Soon after I graduated from this Quaker Academy, I became a teacher there. Fortunately for me after several years I met my husband to be, James Mott. James and I ended up raising 6 beautiful children, unfortunately one of our children died early. Throughout my time, I was recognized as one of the first public figures that believed, and spoke out for both slavery and women's rights. I was known for being highly outspoken, and a suffragist for women's rights by the people. I helped organize women's abolitionists societies to strengthen my beliefs considering anti-slavery organizations would not allow women to contribute, or become members. I was very passionate about my what I believed in and I protested for it. I didn't pay consideration to the criticism of others, instead I stuck strongly to my beliefs. My words inspired people to stand up and to speak up for their beliefs as well. People respected me for working so hard. In the year 1840, the World's Anti-Slavery Convention in London selected me as their delegate. A women by the name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and I decided to hold a mass meeting in order to address the women's right, while we where in the segregated women's section. In July of 1848 Elizabeth and I began the Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention. In 1848 we wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. It was signed by 68 women and 32 men. Our main principle was that women and men were both created equal. This was a very big moment for me along with being the first female president for the American Equal Rights Convention after the Civil War. I tried to help people as much as possible, and thus made speeches based on slavery and women's rights. 

Issues:

      I am a strong supporter in the abolition of slavery. I believe that slavery was a terrible idea, and that women needed to have more rights. In order to express my strong beliefs I boycotted all salve labor products. Elizabeth and I began to get more involved in women's rights after the Anti-Slavery convention. I also believed that people should all have equal economic opportunity. I enjoyed supporting women's equal political status, also including suffrage. Many of the issues that I believe are all discussed in my book. In 1850 Discourse on Women, my book, was published and it talked about the many issues that I believed in. Most of my beliefs are also influenced by my background, being a Quaker.

Solutions:

      My goal is that I was able to influence others into standing up for their beliefs. I worked hard to speak out for American Equal Rights, and thanks to Elizabeth Stanton, I became a leader in the women's rights movement. I hope that the many speeches and sermons I delivered affected many listeners. I believe I was successful because due to all of the projects I took on I ended up winning first president. My other accomplishments were that I helped find Swarthmore College in 1864, and after this hard work I continued to attend women's rights conventions. In 1869 I was even able to re join the conventions when they split into two. Considering the act that I faced many difficulties in my accomplishments, I still overcame them and became the first public speaker for women's rights. I tired to show people that the only effective way to be equal and have fair rights was to include women and abolish slavery, and even though I was denied a seat in the World Anti-Slavery Convention, I hope I was still able to get this pint across. 

Relationship To Others:

      I would feel comfortable sitting next to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Fredrick Douglass, William Lloyed Garrison, and Theodore Parker due to them also being against slavery in some way. I would, however; not be comfortable next to Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun because they both supported slavery.