Women's Rights National Historical Park was established in 1980, and covers a total of of land in Seneca Falls and nearby Waterloo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The park consists of four major historical properties including the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which was the site of the 1848

Seneca Falls Convention The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman".Wellman, 2004, p. 189 Held in the Wesleyan Methodist Church ...

, the first

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

convention. The Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, and the homes of other early women's rights activists (the

M'Clintock House M'Clintock House, also known as the Baptist Parsonage, is a historic home located at Waterloo in Seneca County, New York. It is a two-story, Federal style brick dwelling built in 1833–1836. The home is notable as the residence of Quaker phar ...

and the Richard Hunt House) are also on display. The park includes a visitor center and an education and cultural center housing the Suffrage Press Printshop. The Visitor Center lobby houses a large, life-size bronze sculpture, ''The First Wave'', which consists of twenty figures representing women and men who attended the first Women's Rights Convention. Nine of the sculpture's figures represent actual participants and organizers of the convention:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American writer and activist who was a leader of the women's rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century. She was the main force behind the 1848 Seneca ...

Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott (''née'' Coffin; January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position of women in society when she was amongs ...

Mary Ann M'Clintock Mary Ann M'Clintock or ''Mary Ann McClintock'' (1800-1884) is best known for her role in the formation of the women's suffrage movement, as well as abolitionism. Life M'Clintock was born on February 20, 1800 in Burlington, New Jersey. She was mar ...

, Martha Wright,

Jane Hunt Jane Clothier Hunt or Jane Clothier Master (26 June 1812 – 28 November 1889) was an American Quaker who hosted the Seneca Falls meeting of Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Life Hunt was born in Philadelphia in 1812 to William and Ma ...

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...

James Mott James Mott (20 June 1788 – 26 January 1868) was a Quaker leader, teacher, merchant, and anti-slavery activist. He was married to suffragist leader Lucretia Mott. Life and work James was born in Cow Neck in North Hempstead on Long Island, t ...

Thomas M'Clintock Thomas M'Clintock (March 28, 1792 – March 19, 1876) was an American pharmacist and a leading Quaker organizer for many reforms, including abolishing slavery, achieving women's rights, and modernizing Quakerism. Life He was born on Marc ...

, and Richard Hunt. The other eleven figures represent the "anonymous" women and men who participated in the two-day convention, which took place on July 19 and 20, 1848, and which drew over 300 people. Many of the participants signed the

Declaration of Sentiments The Declaration of Sentiments, also known as the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, is a document signed in 1848 by 68 women and 32 men—100 out of some 300 attendees at the first women's rights convention to be organized by women. Held in Sen ...

, the convention's defining document, which declared that "all men and women are created equal."

Establishing legislation

View the Federal enabling legislation, Public Law 96-607 Title XVI on Congress.gov, that created Women's Rights National Historical Park on December 28, 1980. https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/senate-bill/2363

Administrative History

Superintendents of Women's Rights National Historical Park

Ahna Wilson – 2021 to current Andrea (Andie) DeKoter – 2019 Noemi "Ami" Ghazala – 2013 - 2019 Tammy Duchesne- 2011 - 2013 Tina Orcutt’s - 2004-2011 Josie Fernandez -1998-2004 Joanne Hanley - 1994-1997 Linda Canzanelli - 1989-1994 Judy Hart - 1982-1989

Region

Region: Northeast (Consistent)

Problems facing the park today

According to the National Park Service, the Women's Rights National Historical Park has a backlog of $5.3 million in maintenance and repairs as of fiscal year 2018. That backlog is mostly at the visitors center but also is at some of the historic homes at the park, including the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, the Hunt House, and the M'Clintock House in Waterloo. That's an increase from the $4.6 million maintenance estimate listed in fiscal year 2017.

Votes For Women History Trail

The Votes For Women History Trail, created as part of the federal

Omnibus Public Land Management Act The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (, ) is a land management law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The bill designates millions of acres in the US as protected a ...

of 2009, is administered by the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

through the Women's Rights National Historical Park. The Trail is an automobile route that links sites throughout upstate New York important to the establishment of women's suffrage. Sites on the trail include: * Susan B. Anthony House in

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

* Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester *

Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell Childhood Home The Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell Childhood Home is a historic home located at Henrietta in Monroe County, New York. It is a vernacular Federal style masonry residence constructed of random fieldstone with brick infill. It was built in 1830 ...

Henrietta Henrietta may refer to: * Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry Places * Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean * Henrietta, Mauritius * Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia United States * Henrie ...

in Waterloo * The Women's Rights National Historical Park itself

References

External links

*
''The M'Clintock House: A Home to the Women's Rights Movement,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan

"Writings of Elizabeth Cady Stanton", broadcast from Women's Rights National Historical Park
from

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

's ''

American Writers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

'' {{authority control History museums in New York (state) National Historical Parks of the United States Museums in Seneca County, New York Women's museums in New York (state) Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Protected areas established in 1980 National Park Service areas in New York (state) Parks in Seneca County, New York Women's suffrage in the United States 1980 establishments in New York (state) Monuments and memorials to women National Register of Historic Places in Seneca County, New York Seneca Falls, New York Monuments and memorials to women's suffrage in the United States