Everyone is Equal...Except for You

     The creation of the United States of America was the beginning of the promotion of power being distributed to white men.  However, these men were very hypocritical in saying that each citizen has unavailable rights, but then continuing to look down upon women and treat them as property.  The Declaration of Independence was a unanimous document stating that America wanted to be separated from Britain and why. This was written in 1776, but years later, in 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, following a similar format to the original document.
     The Declaration of Independence is a key document in the history of the United States and it was used as the bases for the Constitution in later years.  Thomas Jefferson begins the Declaration of Independence stating that if a people is unhappy, then they have the right to dissolve what oppresses them since all are united through the laws of nature as well as through God.  The most well known portion of this document is that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  However, these rights were not given to women, despite stating that each person is created equal.  It takes many years for women to gather enough support to create the Seneca Falls Convention, the beginning of the feminist movement that is still in effect today.
     Jefferson continues to go on an list all of the grievances that Britain committed upon the United States, being very specific and straightforward in what is being accuse and uses "He" to personify Britain.  Staton does the same thing in her Declaration of Sentiments, except this time it is used to point to who specifically is opressing the rights of women.  Men are the cause so men will be accused with a powerful line stating "He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable rights to the elective franchise."  In a world full of hypocrites, Elizabeth Cady Stanton speaks out, showing them how wrong they are.  The Declaration of Independence was to state independence from the reliance on Britain, but the Declaration of Sentiments was to state independence from men since women were tired of being pushed into the background.
     Due to the difference in time period that these pieces were composed, the wording is very different.  In the Declaration of Independence the word choices are very overcomplicated and difficult to read.  The Declaration of Sentiments was much easier to read, since it was written to be spoken out loud.  It was originally read at the Seneca Falls Convention on July 19, 1848.  The Seneca Falls convention was the beginning of the women suffrage movement where many notable women gathered to discuss the need for women's rights.  However, the format for each document was almost the same.  With an introduction of beliefs, then accusations of grievances by the opposing group of people who are stripping them of their rights.  Both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments were written because a group of people had been controlling them and taking away their rights, not listening to them in important matters that applied to them.  While the men who supported the Declaration of Independence went on to oppress the women who supported the Declaration of Sentiments, both groups suffered injustices that needed to be addressed.