The United States became independent 224 years ago. It would take years for its citizens to construct the framework of the government upon which the nation would be established. The United States was to be a nation based upon the fundamental rights freedom and equality, in which a person would be judged not by their make-up, but by their actions. However this vision of a utopian society was to be short-lived, as injustice began to emerge from every part of society. Sex, race, and color all affected the rights and privileges of the American citizen. And the only way to right these wrongs was through years of struggle and perseverance. In this essay I will be able to show briefly how some of America's laws became what they are today.

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             Perhaps the group that experienced the greatest amount of resistance in their fight for equality was the American women. For years, women were viewed as frail, petite creatures whose job it was to carry out the housework, and care for the children of the family. Only in the mid-eighteen hundreds did women first begin to speak out against their role in society, and request the right to vote. By obtaining the right to vote women believed that they would become a more influential member of society. They were no longer content with their passive household role, and as a result began to fight for their right in to vote. Two of the major advocates for women's rights during the late eighteen hundreds were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Stanton and Anthony, determined to change America's view of women and women's rights, traveled the country preaching women's rights, and aided in the publication of several newspapers advocating women's rights. Through their efforts, Stanton and Anthony probably played the two most influential roles in the eventual institution of the Equal Rights Amendment. .

             The first major step Stanton and Anthony took in advocating women's rights was to embark on a two month journey, spanning throughout the American countryside, spreading their message of women's rights.