A Woman for All Women:
A National History Day Exhibit
on Elizabeth Cady Stanton
A visit to Women's Rights National Historical Park spurred Lauren Meehan of Eagle County, Colorado to enter and win the Colorado State History Day quarter finals.

The journey began when 8th grader Lauren Meehan visited her Grandmother, Jean Morris in Seneca Falls, New York. Possessing an interest in history, Lauren visited Women's Rights National Historical Park. The park commemorates the significance of the First Women's Rights Convention. It preserves the site of the convention, the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the M'Clintock House, site of the planning session for the convention. The park includes a visitor center with an introductory film and exhibits that examine the national significance of the First Women's Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls in 1848.

The life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her accomplishments became a subject of fascination to Lauren. Upon her return to Minturn Middle School in Eagle County, Colorado, she took part in a dramatization of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Lauren then thought about the possibility of Elizabeth Cady Stanton's work in the women's rights movement as a subject for a National History Day project.

National History Day is an annual competition held throughout the country that encourages students to learn about historical issues and ideas, and about the people involved in historical events. The event begins at the start of the school year in September and is divided into two divisions; Junior division for grades 6 through 8, and a senior division for grades 9 through 12. Each year a different theme is selected, and students address the theme in one of four media: paper presentation, exhibit, dramatic portrayal performance, and media presentation (slides, video, or non-interactive computer program). Participating either singularly or in groups of two to five students, contestants begin at the District level, generally held in February or March, with the winners going on to compete at the State level in late April or early May. Each state sends two finalists to the National level competition, held at the University of Maryland.

The National History Day theme for 2000 was "Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events." Lauren recruited her friend, Claudia Bouvier for the project, and the girls begin to think about producing an exhibit for the junior division competition that would define Elizabeth Cady Stanton's work in the women's rights movement. Stanton was a driving force in the planning of the first women's rights convention, which was held in Seneca Falls in 1848. It was she who drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, the document which was read at the convention that outlined rights that were being denied to women. Her work, which was begun in Seneca Falls, continued over the next 50 years in the Women's Rights Movement, varying from speaking at numerous conventions to writing the Women's Bible.

The girls contacted Women's Rights National Historical Park to see what materials were available to assist them in their project. By providing photographs of many of the park's resources, such as the Wesleyan Chapel and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, the park was able to assist the girls in putting together an impressive exhibit. The final product was an colorful exhibit with a red, white, and blue background that examined the importance and influence of Stanton's work towards equality between men and women.

The first hurdle for Lauren and Claudia was the District level competition, held at Eagle Valley Middle School on February 5. They moved on to the State competition at the University of Colorado at Boulder on April 29. Receiving marks in the Excellent and Superior categories, the judges made such comments as, "Very striking display, especially the flag background and photos", and "Great discussion of the importance of the early women's rights movement, and how America was changed." Receiving overall marks of Superior, the exhibit became a quarter finalist in the Colorado State competition.

Though Lauren and Claudia were pleased with the success of their History Day project, they might be just as pleased with some of it's other results. Not only did the exhibit educate others about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her struggle for women's rigths, but it also served to further their own education.

"The education that will fit her to discharge the duties in the largest sphere of human usefulness will best fit her for whatever special work she may be compelled to do."

From Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Solitude of Self.

National History Day

Stanton and Anthony Papers