Women and the Question of 'Universal' Suffrage in 1848: a Transatlantic Comparison of Suffragist Rhetoric

In 1848 feminists at both Seneca Falls in the United States and in Paris agitated for political rights; much of the rhetoric of the two groups was similar, although there were a few important differences. Parisian women claimed men in power had 'forgotten' them, whereas American women at Seneca Falls were angry at being 'deceived' by men. Documents including the French 'Women Electors and Candidates' and the American 'Declaration of Sentiments' follow the essay.