I forged the thunderbolts. She fired them.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is a name that might sound familiar, but what do you know about her contributions to American history? Perhaps, more importantly, what do your students know about her contributions? Students often obtain a deeper understanding of history when they learn about lesser-known figures than those who are more celebrated. Moreover, integrating the narratives of historically undervalued individuals into the curriculum fosters meaningful connections for students and enhances their engagement in the learning process.
Born on November 12, 1815, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a strong advocate for women’s suffrage and worked alongside the more well-known feminist Susan B. Anthony while also becoming an active participant in the anti-slavery movement. Her activist spirit was also apparent in her personal life when she eliminated the word “obey” from her wedding vows, a strong act of defiance during the 19th century.
This article, “How Do We Teach With Primary Sources When So Many Voices are Missing?” identifies the problem of why many figures are underrepresented in history and offers an approach to build into all history lessons. This quote from the article, “The nice little progressive American story is boring,” Androsky said. “Once [students] realize it’s complicated, it’s interesting.” provides perspective on the importance of expanding our view of historical events beyond those commonly shared as an academic exercise and a method for engaging students in learning. Let’s look at some resources to bring Elizabeth Cady Stanton into the classroom.
National Park Service Resources
The National Park Service (reviewed here) offers an incredible amount of information about Elizabeth Cady Stanton, including details about her home, which is now a historical site. Encourage students to explore these resources to gain a tangible connection to Stanton’s life and times. Begin by using a keyword search for Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
- Take a virtual tour. Visit the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house in Seneca Falls, NY, to learn about her life, family, and work for women’s rights.
- Listen to a Podcast. Visit the Magic Sash podcast to meet iconic women’s rights movement figures, including Stanton, who is featured in episodes one and two. Each episode includes a lesson plan with guiding questions, background information, and extension activities.
- Incorporate Trading Cards. Elizabeth Cady Stanton is included in trading cards available online for kids to collect about the Civil War and civil rights. Extend learning by creating trading cards at Big Huge Labs (reviewed here) that feature other women’s rights activists, such as Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Nina Otero-Warren. Focus conversations about these women on reasons they might be underrepresented in history, such as gender and race.
Lesson Plans and Exhibits
- Seneca Falls and Suffrage – This lesson plan, provided by the National Women’s History Museum (reviewed here), uses comics to explore the importance of the Seneca Falls Convention for women’s suffrage. It includes links to a women’s suffrage timeline, graphic organizers, and a vocabulary guide.
- The Seneca Falls Convention (reviewed here) – Select from several interesting primary source documents about this famous 1848 women’s rights convention. The site features both positive and negative newspaper clippings.
- Not For Ourselves Alone (reviewed here) – Access video clips from a PBS documentary series by Ken Burns that features Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The entire series is available on PBS Passport.
- Google Arts and Culture (reviewed here) – Search for Elizabeth Cady Stanton to find exhibits, images, and stories featuring her life and activism.
Technology Enhanced Activities
- Quizizz (reviewed here) – A quick search for Elizabeth Cady Stanton provides many assessments, interactive video activities, lessons, and reading passages to integrate into your curriculum.
- MyLens (reviewed here) – Use this generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to create visuals, including timelines, mind maps, tables, and quadrants. For example, ask MyLens to create a character map of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s life or a timeline of the women’s suffrage movement that includes Stanton.
- Mind Map Generator (reviewed here) – Generate editable mind maps with a prompt using AI. Ask this generator to create a mind map of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s role in the Seneca Convention or build a map that features the contributions of Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to feminism. Edit the content to include important historical events during this period.
- Humy (reviewed here) – Engage students through a conversation with this Elizabeth Cady Stanton chatbot. Include in the chatbot’s objectives that you want to discuss her accomplishments and find out her thoughts on being less well-known than others she worked with, such as Susan B. Anthony.
Incorporating the life and work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and underrepresented historical figures into your classroom encourages students to explore history through a different perspective. Enhancing lessons by including primary sources, virtual tours, and technology further engages students in learning while providing a more comprehensive look at significant events and people.
How do you include underrepresented or lesser-known figures in your history lessons? Share your ideas in the comments to help us all learn together.