Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, New York. Stanton spent most of her childhood in Johnstown. During her childhood one event changed her life forever – her brother Eleazer, the only boy child in her family, died. In his grief, her father said to her, “Oh daughter, how I wish you were a boy.” From that moment on, Stanton was determined to be everything that her brother was. Although, she would soon find out that there were many barriers to overcome.

In 1840, Elizabeth married abolitionist Henry Brewster Stanton. She never had much of a career because she wanted to take care of her seven children. She still was a very active supporter of the movement for women’s votes. In 1848, Elizabeth, Susan B. Anthony, and some other activists organized the Seneca Falls convention that talked about woman’s rights. During that convention, Stanton wrote a Declaration of Sentiments and twelve resolutions to go along with it. After the Seneca Falls convention, Stanton went on a speaking tour of New York.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a very highly regarded Progressive and a very popular women’s rights activist. Her speeches, writings, and ideas were the driving force behind the women’s rights movements of the mid 1800’s and continued until women got the vote in 1919. Stanton’s role as a Progressive was that she was a huge activist for women’s rights and even though she died before the nineteenth amendment was passed, she is still regarded as one of the great women’s rights activists of all time. With ever failing health, Elizabeth Cady Stanton died in New York City on October 26th 1902.