Category Archives: Women

Women’s Rights: Declaration of Sentiments

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Opening Lines of the Declaration:

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course. “

A few sentiments:

  • He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.
  • He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.
  • He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men – both natives and foreigners.
  • Having deprived her of this first right as a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.
  • He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.
  • He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.
  • He has endeavored, in every way that he could to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.

The closing lines of the Declaration:

“ Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation—in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.

In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule; but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to effect our object. We shall employ agents, circulate tracts, petition the State and national Legislatures, and endeavor to enlist the pulpit and the press in our behalf. We hope this Convention will be followed by a series of Conventions, embracing every part of the country.

Click to read the entire Declaration of Sentiments at Wikipedia.

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

July 19, 1848 in Seneca Falls NY

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A is where I was born in Sodus New York.  B is where I lived as a teenager.  C is where I went to high school.  D is the topic of this article.  It is a place called Seneca Falls New York and on July 19-20, 1848 history was made here.

I used to see signs for Seneca Falls all the time growing up and even passed through there a few times on my way to Geneva to visit my brother.  But I did not always know of its historical significance.  The place is significant and the date July 19, 1848 is historical.  The eloquent and riveting speaker Lucretia Mott would be coming from Boston to visit Seneca Falls NY and the local women wanted to hear her. She was a Quaker, an abolitionist,  and a missionary.  Very few women spoke out in public back then, so she stood out as a symbol. A group of New York women (primarily Quaker) along with Elizabeth Caty Stanton (who was not Quaker) organized a convention to discuss equal rights for women around her visit to Seneca Falls.  Five women sitting around discussing their discontent with inequality decided to have a convention. They put out their first notice on July 11, 1848 which was picked up by Frederick Douglass’ newspaper, The North Star.  Imagine eight days later over 300 people would attend.  And, the forces for equality would be set in motion.

Click to read the Wikipedia account of the entire convention

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Equal Rights Amendment Facts

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This is Women’s History Month.  So yesterday I challenged you to see how much you knew about the Equal Rights Amendment. I posed twelve questions to you.  How did you do?  I will present the answers below, but before I do, have you wondered why we even need an Equal Rights Amendment?  Shirley Chisholm shown here (another Women’s History figure to learn about) is championing the Equal Rights Amendment.

Those fighting for the ERA say that women and blacks were not included in the Constitution.  Rights were for land owning white men.  That is why an Amendment had to be passed giving black men the right to vote.  Then the 19th Amendment had to be passed giving women the right to vote and amending the Constitution.

“The need for the ERA can be expressed simply as a warning. Unless we put into the Constitution the bedrock principle that equality of rights cannot be denied or abridged on account of sex, the political and judicial victories women have achieved with their blood, sweat, and tears for the past two centuries are vulnerable to erosion or reversal at any time – now or in the future.  Congress has the power to make laws that replace existing laws – and to do so by a simple majority. Therefore, many of the current legal protections against sex discrimination can be removed by the margin of a single vote.” EqualRightsAmendment.org

The Answers Appear Below are from Equal Rights Amendment.org too.
  1. What is the Equal Rights Amendment?–
    Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.     The Equal Rights Amendment would provide a fundamental legal remedy against sex discrimination for both women and men. It would guarantee that the rights affirmed by the U.S. Constitution are held equally by all citizens without regard to sex.
  2. Who wrote the text for it?
    The Equal Rights Amendment was written in 1923 by Alice Paul, a leader of the woman suffrage movement and a lawyer.
  3. When was it first introduced to Congress?
    It was introduced in Congress in 1923 and subsequently reintroduced in every Congressional session for half a century.
  4. How many years did it take to pass?
    It took 49 years to pass in the Congress.  On March 22, 1972, the ERA finally passed the Senate and the House of Representatives by the required two-thirds majority.
  5. What year was it sent to the States for ratification?
    On March 22, 1972, it was sent to the states for ratification.
  6. How many States are needed to ratify the Amendment?
    Three/fourths of the States or 35 States were  necessary to ratify the Amendment.
  7. How many years did Congress allow for the States to ratify the Amendment?
    An original seven-year deadline was later extended by Congress to June 30, 1982.
  8. Did enough States ratify the Amendment before the time limit expired?
    NO!
  9. What happened then?
    It is therefore not yet included in the U.S. Constitution.
  10. How many States actually ratified the Amendment?
    When this deadline expired, only 35 of the necessary 38 states (the constitutionally required three-fourths) had ratified the ERA.
  11. Is it ratified now?
    NO! The Equal Rights Amendment has been reintroduced in every session of Congress since 1982.
  12. Which States didn’t ratify the Amendment?
    The 15 states whose legislatures have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.

So, what did you learn and what do you think about this?

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Women’s History Month- What Do Your Know about the Equal Rights Amendment?

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This is Women’s History Month and I for one am revisiting my history. Frankly I was a little surprised and perhaps a little embarrassed at how little I knew or remembered.  So in the spirit of educating my sisters (and brothers) I have put together a little quiz.

How much do you know about the work and the women that are fighting and have been fighting to guarantee equal rights under the constitution for women?

There are those that say it is not necessary.  But view the ERA response:

“Would anyone really want to turn back the clock on women’s advancement? Ask the members of Congress who have tried to cripple Title IX, which requires equal opportunity in education – who have opposed the Violence Against Women Act, the Fair Pensions Act, and the Paycheck Fairness Act – who voted to pay for Viagra for servicemen but oppose funding for family planning and contraception – who for decades have blocked U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).”

Test Your Knowledge

  1. What is the Equal Rights Amendment?
  2. Who wrote the text for it?
  3. When was it first introduced to Congress?
  4. How many years did it take to pass?
  5. What year was it sent to the States for ratification?
  6. How many States are needed to ratify the Amendment?
  7. How many years did Congress allow for the States to ratify the Amendment?
  8. Did enough States ratify the Amendment before the time limit expired?
  9. What happened then?
  10. How many States actually ratified the Amendment?
  11. Is it ratified now?
  12. Which States didn’t ratify the Amendment?

Find the answers yourself, or continue article to view answers.

It Could Be Better, But It Could Be Worse

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This was my dad’s who passed in 1979 favorite saying, “It could be better, but it could be worse.”  Are you facing some challenges right now and wondering how you will survive?  It’s amazing what we can endure when we have to.  Once after a talk, a lady came up to me and said, “I thought I was drowning in a thimble, but after hearing your words I realize that others are drowning in an ocean.”   What she meant was that her problems were so minuscule (thimble) in comparison.

I feel the same way after hearing the prison account of a young girl imprisoned in Iran for being a Baha’i in a Muslim controlled country where religious freedom is not the right for all.  She shares her experience in Raha’s Letter.  What a wonderful message of faith, patience, radiant acquiescence, and service.  Many of us think we have a reason to complain, but when we hear a story about a young girl imprisoned for four years simply because she was trying to teach the youth virtuous qualities, all of our problems seem to pale by comparison. She was only able to get 30 minutes of sunlight a day and lived in isolation, no refrigerator, no mirror, no one to talk to.  And yet her account was filled with gratitude.

Face Each Day Prayerfully

She faced each day prayerfully, reciting “Is their any remover of difficulties save God…” over 1000  times a day!   And, the brief time she was out of prison, she was comforting families of the imprisoned, typing her notes so that she could share her prison accounts,  and getting books so that she could continue to learn.  All I can say is, “What a jewel.”  I pray that God continues to protect and bless her and keep her strong.