The BookFinder is a month old!
With more than 1,875 books already in this new database, we’ve created a fun way for readers to go on a sapphic book finding mission. Four prizes of a $15 Amazon gift card will be awarded in drawing on November 9, 16, 23, and 30. For complete rules, click here.
Now let’s get to today’s fun: Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an American writer and activist, was born on November 12, 1815.
She came from a prominent family in Johnstown, New York and their mansion on the town’s main square required up to twelve servants. Elizabeth was one of eleven children, and six of her siblings died before reaching adulthood, causing her mother to become withdrawn.
Stanton had the benefit of receiving a top-notch education denied to many women during the time period. At the age of ten, her last surviving brother died when he was twenty, and her father said, “Oh my daughter, I wish you were a boy!” making Elizabeth keenly aware how society didn’t have a high opinion of women.
In 1840, Elizabeth married Henry Brewster Stanton, an abolitionist. The word obey was omitted from the marriage ceremony. They moved to Boston, where Henry joined a law firm, giving Elizabeth the opportunity to learn from William Lloyd Garrison, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Frederick Douglas.
They had seven children, spaced out, leading some to believe the couple used some methods of birth control. Elizabeth called it “voluntary motherhood” believing women should be in control of their sexual relations and childbearing and that women could be as passionate as men.
During the summer of 1848, Elizabeth received an invitation to meet with Lucretia Mott and other progressive women. Feeling accepted, Elizabeth vehemently shared her opinions on women’s issues, leading the group to organize a women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls. Elizabeth was the principal writer of the convention’s Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, modeled on the US Declaration of Independence. This led to Elizabeth becoming an activist and author.
In 1876, Elizabeth and Susan B. Anthony began collaborating on the History of Woman Suffrage. At first, they thought it would be a small work, but it morphed into a six-volume work with more than 5,700 pages.
She continued to contribute articles until her death in 1902 at the age of eighty-six.
To honor Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and her History of Woman Suffrage, we’re asking readers to go to the BookFinder and look up books in the following Genre categories: Historical Fiction & Historical Romance.
Find a book you haven’t read yet, or if you come across an old favorite, share it and tell us why. To enter the giveaway, share your entry in the Facebook group.
Remember, the more days you play, the more entries you’ll receive for the $15 Amazon gift card, so don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another Book Finding Mission.
Authors, if your books aren’t in the database yet, we highly recommend you submit them now. Here’s the form.
