2. Research

(Shane, 2018)

I have been expanding my knowledge on my stimulus by researching further into the context and history surrounding the Women’s Rights Convention, 1851. The first women’s rights convention had been held at Seneca Falls, New York in 1948. The convention brought up issues surrounding legal rights for women. ‘The Declaration of Sentients’ raised the idea of married women owning property and women’s right to vote. If men allowed women these rights “the whole legal and philosophical scaffolding of resistance to women’s political power collapsed” (Wellman, 199, pp.18). The results of the convention did not go as planned, they faced ridicule as their objectives were rejected. The New York Evening Post claimed that the convention “resolved that all men and women are created equal!” and Mechanic’s Advocate thought that women’s rights were ‘impracticable, uncalled for, and unnecessary” (Wellman, 199, pp.28). This was significant as it shows how little value men had for women and their attitudes towards women’s rights. The news articles dismissing women’s rights is as propaganda against women’s suffrage.

“The Sphere of Woman,” by Horace Greeley, the reformist editor of the New-York Tribune, in The Anti-Slavery Bugle, August 25, 1848, p. 4, as reprinted from The Union Magazine of Literature and Art. (Balkansky, 2019)

The Women’s Rights Convention, Ohio, 1851 aimed to discuss female education, injustice in married and unmarried women and their freedom. This convention held one of the most famous speeches by Sojourner Truth, entitled ‘Ain’t I a Woman’. Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Bomfree, was born into slavery in America. After her emancipation, she fought for the abolition of slaves and women’s rights. While her speech was highly relevant to this research, other significant events and topics were brought up at the conference. The education system was particularly flawed for females, they were destined to become underpaid seamstresses or housewives. They were taught from a young age that their only duties in life were to please and obey men. This is enforced throughout their lives into adulthood where they must remain opinionless while men may do as they please. Men felt they would be emasculated if women had more rights, they would lose their control and dominance. In reference to Christian beliefs, men, and women “ordained to react on each other, not for evil but for good” (Stone et al., 1851).

My movement and choreography will discover the juxtaposition of the ideals of women being fragile, undeserving, and weak compared to their frustration, determination, and resilience to fight for equality. Strong, punchy, and committed movements may feel unnatural to me; however, I am willing to challenge myself to create movements different to my usual style. After researching further into the rejection and ridicule which women experienced by men, I feel a sense of anger for them, which may influence my movements. The passions and drive will be shown as the piece goes on, using repetition and fragmentation to show the fight and change of tactics used. I also intend to use accumulation in my piece, this may be hard as it is a solo, but it is a good method to reinforce the idea of women coming together. This research has been highly insightful for me for this choreographic journey, I will continue to research into this period which will influence my movement.

 Reference list

Balkansky, A. (2019). American Women’s Declaration of Independence: Newspaper coverage, 1848 | Headlines and Heroes. [online] Library of Congress. Available at: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/07/american-womens-declaration-newspaper-coverage-1848/ [Accessed 19 Oct. 2021].

Shane, C. (2018). Why the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 Is Still Relevant to Women Today. [online] CoveyClub. Available at: https://www.coveyclub.com/blog_posts/seneca-falls-convention-feminism/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2021].

Stone, L., Susan B. Anthony Collection, National American Woman Suffrage Association Collection and Women's Rights Convention (1851). The proceedings of the Women’s Rights Convention, held at Akron, Ohio, May 28 and 29, 1851. [online] Library of Congress. Cincinnati: Ben Franklin Book and Job Office. Available at: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbnawsa/n8317/n8317.pdf [Accessed 22 Oct. 2021].

Wellman, J. (1991). The Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention: A Study of Social Networks. Journal of Women’s History, 3(1), pp.18, 28–29.

‌Bibliography

Ostrogorski, M. (1893). The rights of women: a comparative study in history and legislation. [online] HathiTrust. London : New York: S. Sonnenschein & Co. ; C. Scribner’s Sons. Available at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044048107379&view=1up&seq=2 [Accessed 25 Oct. 2021].

‌Painter, N.I. (1994). Representing Truth: Sojourner Truth’s Knowing and Becoming Known. The Journal of American History, 81(2), pp.466, 467.