Introduction

Women play a fundamental role in the story of the United States and in the realization of the founding documents' ideas of natural rights for all --  life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In the 1850s, slavery was at its peak and the country began to take sides for or against this institution.  Many women became involved in the movement to abolish slavery and began to question their own rights in society by gathering in conventions to discuss their status.

Your assignment is to discover what effect the National Women’s Rights Convention of 1850 might have had on public perceptions of women’s roles in society.

Image from:: Library of Congress