“The Declaration of Sentiments” Rhetorical Analysis & Argument Practice 

 
 

Purpose: ​to explore Stanton’s speech in detail, considering how his rhetorical choices contribute to 
her purpose, and to practice creating arguments and supporting them with CHORES.  
 

Rhetorical Analysis Practice  

First, complete the SPACE organizer to help you gain an understanding of the rhetorical situation. You 
can google anything you need more information on.  
  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, active abolitionists, supporters of women’s rights: both men 
Speaker  and women. She is married and has 7 kids. 
 
  To address the inequality of women’s rights and to spread awareness and support for 
Purpose  equality of women (suffrage, education, property ownership, custody). 
 
  All Americans, especially supporters for gender equality and women’s suffrage. 
Audience 
 
  In 1848, Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped form the Convention. 
Context  Slavery was still in effect. 
 
  Prohibited attendance to the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention becuase do not admit 
Exigence  women. Met Lucretia Mott and started a Women’s Rights Convention.  
 
 
Choices: 
● Repetition/Parallel Structure 
● “He” vs “Her” 
● Ardent diction 
● Reuses the Dec. of Independence 
 
1. How does Stanton establish ethos? Be specific and include at least one line of text in your answer. 
(Remember ethos is not something authors ​use​ but something they establish or demonstrate).  
 
Stanton, an American women’s rights supporter and a mother of seven, fortifies an appeal to her
credibility as being “civilly dead” when married because her husband gains “all right in property” and “even
wages”. Stanton understands what a woman is treated like and purposefully includes the Founding Document,
The Declaration of Independence.

2. Why does Stanton call her declaration one of “sentiments” and not “independence”?  
 
Stanton looks at this document not as a declaration but as a passionate document of women's opinions because
she wishes that Men and Women do not become separated with Men in the workforce and Women in the
household, but as equal. Independence implies that one group is cutting itself from another while Stanton only
urges for equality and “all the rights and privileges” for all Americans not to split apart women & men &
minorities, but to live in a fair community. She changes The Declaration of Independence towards the
sentiment, or opinion, of men towards the sentiment of women.
3. Clearly, Stanton’s declaration is based very closely on Jefferson’s--especially at the beginning. How is
it specifically different from his in the first three paragraphs and what is the effect?

Stanton utilizes The Declaration of Independence, an American prized document, in which is referring between
the tyrant, King George, and the American Men. Stanton boldly adds words to Jefferson’s document to include
that both “men and women are created equal” (1 Stanton) instead of only “men are created equal” (1 Jefferson).
She emphasizes that Women should relieve the same rights as men with the stylistic list of grievances. Now
Stanton changes the “tyrant” to the American Men while the oppressed are the women.
In total, Stanton edits the treasured Declaration of Independence to establish an opinion that all people, men and
women alike should receive equal rights in America just as what the U.S. was founded upon.

 
Dual Entry Notes (1 entry – make it ​amazing​) 
Small Passage  Analysis: Walk through the passage – how does it connect to her 
purpose? 
   
“He has created a false  Stanton realizes the disproportion of rights men have in comparison to 
public sentiment, by  women. Men seem to “exclude women from society” even seen from 
giving to the world a  Elizabeth Stanton’s own experience; she was not admitted into the 
different code of morals  Anti-Slavery Convention becuase only men were allowed, society is 
for men and women, by  not equal. Men were put up in a higher, favored respect while women 
which moral  were “given… a different code of morals” that kept women without 
delinquencies which  political and economic stance. 
exclude women from 
society, are not only 
tolerated but deemed of 
little account in man” 
 
 

 
Argument Question 
 

1.​ We have come a long way as a country since 1848. However, that does not mean everything is 
now perfect. Select one of Stanton’s grievances from the text, and ​take a position on her statement. 
Include evidence in your response (CHORES)  
 
Her grievance: 
He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education—all colleges being closed 
against her 
 
Your claim on her grievance (your position): 
I agree with Elizabeth Stanton, from the Seneca Falls Convention and overall gender equality, 
America has come a great distance from inequality including slavery and limits on voting, but now all 
people are free and can vote. Even from Stanton’s grievance, all people can work towards 
education, especially college; however, college is not free, so those poorer off may not afford 
college, but scholarships and financial aid work to help all those struggling, so anyone regardless of 
race, gender, skin color, or religion are not discriminated against. 
 
 
Your evidence: 
In my personal experience, school has never been denied to anyone. I am working towards college 
admissions. Despite the expense of college, Community college makes it easier for a person without 
anyone, but themselves to pay for school funds through a job and scholarships. First there are helpful 
resources to all people, including me, a young lady entering into the workforce and college.  
 
 
 
How does the evidence support your claim? 
Gender equality has progressed far-enough so that a woman as young as me can earn wages that 
can be used towards education. I can even work towards a higher education in college, 
trade-school, or an apprentice elsewhere. Personally, I am most likely going to Community college to 
work for an undergraduate degree, so I may be better qualified in the workforce. Stanton notices 
that her women’s movement gained support and encouraged change in society similar to the 
challenge of slavery, and the tension of poltically free vs slave states. Likewise, gender equality was 
also being disputed, and her movement was gaining support, so new changes were being brought 
about and by having Stanton influence society. Now other groups are influencing society and ideas 
in which not everything is perfectly equal, the grievances today against women are not as numerous 
as compared to present day, but there are always flaws.