Seneca Falls, New York: The Birthplace of the Women's Rights Movement

Head in any direction in America, and you'll be moving toward a place commemorating women's impact. There's the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. But, one location has hosted a fury and fight unlike any other: Seneca Falls, New York—the birthplace of women's rights in America.

This upstate town hosted the first women's rights convention in the United States on July 19 and 20, 1848. About 300 concerned citizens gathered on these days to fight for women's civil, social, and religious rights. This impassioned gathering sparked decades of radical activism that eventually led to the 19th Amendment, which was ultimately ratified in 1920.

There's an energy to Seneca Falls that is unparalleled. At the time, upstate New York had long hosted abolitionist activity, which many historians say sparked large swaths of the women's rights movement. This city also stands as an emblem of the numerous places where courageous women held suffragist events and radical gatherings to fight for justice. Some of these women included Harriet Tubman, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Coffin Wright, Sojourner Truth, Mary M'Clintock, Martha Wright, Laura Cornelius Kellogg, and many others.

Today, Seneca Falls and the surrounding area honor its rich history, which makes a visit here awe-inspiring. There's the National Women's Hall of Fame, which boasts the most impressive list of inductees (with a stunning group for the 2024 inclusions), and the National Women's Rights Historic Park, a collection of historic sites that includes the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, the Wesleyan Chapel, which was the physical location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention, and the M'Clintock House. This meaningful town holds the essential truth of life: that every person is equal. It's a place to visit with children and parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, partners and friends to pay homage to all the women who have fought and all the women who continue to fight today.

At The Sunday Paper, we always aim to honor how women have changed the world for decades and continue to do so today. Seneca Falls is one of many places that holds our hearts. It acts as a light, illuminating a path toward justice that we all must continue to march down.