In 1848 the First Woman’s Right Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, as five women organized a meeting to protest the laws and customs that discriminated against women.  Thus began the crusade for equality and suffrage.  While those determined, courageous women are long gone, a visit to Seneca Falls today will still allow you to come face to face with their images at the Women’s Rights National Park.

You’ll get to “meet” the women via a group of bronze figures created by sculptor Lloyd Lily.  The figures include Elizabeth Cady Stanton (who was one of the authors of the Declaration of Sentiments that declared that all men and women are created equal), whose farmhouse is also on the site.  Rangers lead tours of the farmhouse, sharing information about the life and writings of this rather radical (for her times, at least) woman.

The park also includes a Visitor’s Center, the Wesleyan Chapel, where the first convention took place, and the homes of two of the other women organizers, Jane Hunt and Mary Ann M’Clintock.  You can see the park by participating in ranger-led tours, or wander about on your own.  Dial and Discover, and audio tour available using your cell phone, will guide you through five of the park locations.

It’s hard for me to imagine a world in which women couldn’t vote and didn’t have freedom.  A visit to this national park seems a must for anyone who wants to understand the struggle for women’s suffrage, and the efforts of five women in launching a movement that continues to this day.  There are important stories and lessons to be learned here.

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