This remarkable tome is Elizabeth Cady Stanton's autobiography, first published in 1898. In case your high school history textbook was just average, Stanton was one of the foremost feminist thinkers, organizers, and reformers of the 19th century. For more than 50 years, she toiled to bring about improvements in women's lot, such as the ability to own property, have custody of children, file for divorce, and, of course, vote. In those days, women did not even enjoy basic political equality with men, much less social, educational, or any other type.
Stanton was simply amazing in all ways. A gifted writer and speaker, she spent much of her political energy interacting with people-- recruiting women to the movement, debating (and almost always trouncing) political opponents, and generally stumping to "raise consciousness" about what was then called "the woman question." Stanton relentlessly stirred up interest in these issues. She also went to Europe on several occasions, connecting with sister movements in England and France. She held receptions, attended (and gave) lectures, and met with all kinds of people, from groups of farm wives to distinguished male professionals.
This would be a tough schedule for anyone-- even a man with a stay-at-home wife. But it was only part of Stanton's life. She was married and had seven children, and although she did have nannies to help her, she never missed a child's early years. She always found ways to stay at home, catching up on writing, or meeting with local social reformers, after the birth of each child. She was considered something of an expert on mothering, and was often asked for advice on how to raise healthy children, as medical texts of the time were somewhat questionable. (For instance, babies were routinely "bandaged" from armpit to crotch in a tight corset-like wrap, which supposedly prevented injury to their delicate insides. Probably it was enormously uncomfortable!)
Stanton had a lifelong friendship with Susan B. Anthony, whose name a few more people know because of her brief stint on the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. Anthony was another towering figure in 19th-century feminism. She neatly complemented Stanton-- she was less of a writer, but more of a planner, less of a socializer, more of a strategist. Since she was single, she could head off and tour the country, giving speeches coast to coast, for months or years at a time. Together, they were a formidable force. Stanton's autobiography is dedicated to Anthony, and she devotes two chapters to describing this very special friend.
Another lifelong project for Stanton was religious reform. She had the usual tortured relationship with the Church that many rational women have. She saw value in the morality, family values, and other positive social aspects of religion. But she simply could not accept the subjugation of women that is taught alongside the good aspects. In strikingly modern language, she declares that all the parts of the Bible about male superiority were probably just written in there by men, and ought to be removed in the next edition (for which there should be an editorial committee consisting of 50% women). Going even farther, Stanton eventually published "The Woman's Bible," in which she extracts all the verses in the Bible about women, and provides her own commentary on them. (I was amused to learn that when she wrote this work, she did so by buying a bunch of cheap Bibles, cutting out the sections about women and pasting them at the top of pages, then writing her comments underneath).
Stanton's memoirs simultaneously reveal her complex character and give the reader clues about the society she lived in. Stanton was not totally consistent in her views, sometimes in amusing ways. For instance, she railed against superstitious ideas, which she believed largely influenced the irrational politics of the time. She was a staunch advocate of logic and scientific truth, which made her a formidable opponent in debates-- she could always talk her partner into an inescapable corner (not difficult when women are taxed but denied the vote in a country whose Revolutionaries rallied round the issue of "taxation without representation"). And yet, Stanton knew little of the genuine science going on at the time-- Maxwell's electrical and magnetic discoveries, for instance. Oh, no. When she talked about "science," she meant phrenology and various other odd practices that were popular at the "sanitoriums" of the time (basically "health clubs" with questionable practices by modern standards).
Stanton was also inconsistent in more serious ways. Although highly attuned to women's problems, she made some inadvertant racist comments in her time. She did not always sympathize with American Indians, and seems to have accepted the position of her childhood "manservants," who were "free" black men in the North. She was an anti-slavery crusader, but didn't see the racism that persisted after (supposed) political equality for blacks was achieved.
Nonetheless, it is impossible to overstate Stanton's revolutionary nature. She lived in a time when women weren't even supposed to have opinions, much less shout them out in Senate chambers and on street corners for all to hear. She challenged men head-to-head on the most fundamental issues, and caught them with their pants down. They all talked a good game about the greatness of America, but Stanton would have nothing of it while half the population existed in virtual slavery. Many of her ideas are recognizably modern, and it takes a minute to remember that this was happening over a century ago.
"Eighty Years and More" is as sobering as it is empowering and enlightening. Some of the reforms Stanton advocated are still being debated and worked on-- in particular, divorce reform. Things are much better now than they used to be, but Stanton's ideas of equality for each partner in a marriage have not yet implemented fully.
Even more poignantly, we must remember that Stanton did not live to see the most important result of her life's work: winning the vote for women. She devoted endless hours to this campaign for more than 50 years, and she herself never cast a vote. In fact, she died 15 years before the 19th Amendment was passed. What a strong spirit she must have had to keep up that fight until her dying days, never knowing if all that effort would pay off, and never enjoying the sweet success of the political equality she fought for.
She comments on this briefly. "On my way back to Johnstown, I spent ten days at Troy... During this visit we had two hearings in the Capitol at Albany,... and I addressed the Committee... It was nearly 40 years since I had made my first appeal [for women's enfranchisement] in the old Capitol at Albany. My reflections were sad and discouraging, as I sat there and listened to the speakers and remembered how long we had made our appeals at that bar, from year to year, in vain. The members of the committee presented the same calm aspect as their predecessors, as if to say, 'Be patient, dear sisters, eternity is before us; this is simply a question of time. What may not come in your day, future generations will surely possess.' It is always pleasant to know that our descendants are to enjoy life, liberty, and happiness; but, when one is gasping for one breath of freedom, this reflection is not satisfying" (383-84).
It is also worth noting, however, what the book left out. This is not history; Stanton does not discuss some of the huge political events that affected the women's movement, such as the lawsuit of Miner vs. Happersett and the splitting of the movement into rival factions led by Stanton and Anthony vs. Lucy Stone. Neither does she comment on her eventual censure by the very organization she founded. "Eighty Years and More" is Stanton's chance to say what she wants to say about her life; she let the history books (some of which she wrote) tell the "objective" story.
Read about this incredible woman's life to get a taste of the foundations of feminism. Stanton's boundless energy, clear intelligence, and unwavering vision even in the face of the tough opposition she faced are inspirational. I'll give this book a "strong +" because more people ought to know about Stanton's life and times. I was moved by the book partly because I know that so few people have read it.
Copyright © Kim Allen 2001
