Letter to Kay Coles James, Chair of the Women's Suffrage Commission - Gillibrand Announces That Following Her Invitation, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Will Meet At Seneca Falls To Honor The 100-Year Anniversary Of Women's Suffrage

Letter

Dear Chair James,

In light of the upcoming 100th anniversary of women's suffrage and the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment, I am writing to respectfully request that the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission hold one of its meetings at the Women's Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls, New York. The State of New York is the birthplace of women's rights, and Seneca Falls is among the most legendary landmarks of the suffrage movement. As we approach this monumental anniversary in United States history, meeting in Seneca Falls would be an important way for the Commission to honor these historical achievements and the heroic efforts of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and other champions of New York who played a pivotal role in the fight for women's rights.

Seneca Falls and other nearby cities in New York State have provided the stage for many of the women's suffrage movement's most historic accomplishments. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a native to Seneca Falls, the Seneca Falls Convention was held in 1848. It was from these meetings that the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions emerged, which set the framework for the national women's suffrage movement that soon followed. To commemorate these important milestones, the Women's Rights National Historic Park was later established by the National Park Service in 1980.

The women's suffrage movement also has roots in the City of Rochester, where the home of Susan B. Anthony is located and now serves as a museum and National Historic Landmark. Near the City of Syracuse, fellow suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage is also honored at her historic home in Fayetteville, and the Harriet Tubman Home and National Historic Park is located nearby in the City of Auburn. While meeting in Seneca Falls, Commissioners would have the opportunity to add visit any of these area sites, allowing for a more complete experience and understanding of the impact these amazing women and the region had on the suffrage movement.

New York State has long been at the epicenter of the women's suffrage movement upon which the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission was established. It is for this reason that the Commission should hold a meeting on the symbolic, hallowed grounds of Seneca Falls and pay tribute to the historic achievements that brought equality and the constitutional right to vote to women for the last 100 years.

Thank you for your serious consideration of this request, and I look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,

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