ittee expects soon to have the full amount. These lectures on
American Citizenship will not be confined to Barnard students but will
be offered to women in general.

[130] For accounts and tributes see Appendix for this chapter.

CHAPTER XX.

THE FEDERAL AMENDMENT FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE.[131]

The first convention in all history to consider the Rights of Women
was called by Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and two others to
meet July 19, 20, 1848, at Seneca Falls in western New York, Mrs.
Stanton's home.[132] In 1851 the work was taken up by Susan B.
Anthony, destined to be its supreme leader for the next half century.
Meetings soon began to take place and societies to be formed in
various States, so that by 1861 there was a well-defined movement
toward woman suffrage. Large conventions were held annually in eastern
and western cities, in which the most prominent men and women
participated. The commencement of the Civil War ended all efforts for
this object and its leaders devoted themselves for the next five years
to the women's part of every war. In May, 1866, Mrs. Stanton and Miss
Anthony issued a call for the scattered forces to come together in
convention in New York City, and here began the movement for woman
suffrage which continued without a break for fifty-four years.

No large extension of the franchise had been made since the government
was founded except to the working men between 1820 and 1830 and this
had been accomplished by amending State constitutions. There had been
no thought of enfranchising women in any other way but now Congress,
for the purpose of giving the ballot to the recently freed negro men,
was about to submit an amendment to the National Constitution. This
convention was called to protest against "class legislation" and
demand that women should be included. It adopted a Memorial to
Congress, prepared by Mrs. Stanton, which contained a portion of
Charles Sumner's great speech, Equal Rights for All, and was a
complete statement of woman's right to the franchise. In Miss
Anthony's address she said: "Up to this hour we have looked only to
State action for recognition of our rights but now, by the results of
the war, the whole question of suffrage reverts to Congress and the
United States Constitution. The duty of Congress at this moment is to
declare what shall be the true basis of representation in a republican
form of government."

As soon as the intention to submit the 14th