The women's rights movement was a long and persistent battle fought by many courageous advocates who came before us, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony. These women selflessly dedicated their lives to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which forever changed the lives of American women. Before their efforts, the United States was still in ruins from the Civil War and devoted most of its attention to rebuilding the country and securing the rights of African American men. Several activists were unhappy that women were not included in this effort and took matters into their own hands. The first meeting devoted solely to women's rights was the Seneca Falls Convention on July 19–20, 1848 and was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia. Mott. The convention attracted nearly a hundred people, two-thirds of whom were women. It was here that the women's rights movement was born. Elizabeth Stanton created the “Declaration of Sentiments, Grievances, and Resolutions” which mimicked the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. She wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal” (“Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony—.”). From this point on, women addressed their limited rights in society and the obstacles that held them back. The Seneca Falls Convention served as fertile ground for activists to come together and fight against these social and economic issues. Although many women came together in the fight for women's right to vote, they did not always agree on how to get there. Initially, Elizabeth Stanton and Massachusetts teacher Susan B. Anthony established the National Woman Suffrage Associa...... middle of paper ......archives and Records Administration, nd Web. April 17, 2014. “ANTI-SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION”. ANTI-SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION. Oklahoma State University, nd Web. May 13, 2014. DODD, LYNDA G. “The Rhetoric of Gender Disruption During the Campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment.” Boston University Law Review 93.3 (2013): 709-727. Academic research completed. Internet. April 19, 2014. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment. Teaching with documents. np: 2002. ÉRIC. Internet. April 19, 2014. “Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony—.” Home page: Stanton and Anthony Papers Online. Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, nd Web. April 19, 2014. “The Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1920.” » The women's rights movement, 1848-1920. History, Art and Archives United States House of Representatives, nd Web. May 12 2014.