The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention It advertised itself as a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman Held in Seneca Falls New York, it spanned two days over July 19–20 184. Attracting widespread attention it was soon followed by other women's rights conventions, including one in Rochester New York two weeks later. In 1850 the first in a series of annual National Women's Rights Conventions met in Worcester Massachusetts.
Female Quakers local to the area organized the meeting along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was not a Quaker. They planned the event during a visit to the area by Philadelphia based Lucretia Mott. Mott a Quaker, was famous for her oratorical ability which was rare during an era which women were often not allowed to speak in public. The meeting had six sessions included a lecture on law, a humorous presentation, and multiple discussions about the role of women in society. Stanton and the Quaker women presented two prepared documents, the Declaration of Sentiments and an accompanying list of resolutions, to be debated and modified before being put forward for signatures. A heated debate sprang up regarding womens right to vote, with many including Mott urging the removal of this concept, but Frederick Douglass argued eloquently for its inclusion, and the suffrage resolution was retained. Exactly 100 of approximately 300 attendees signed the document, mostly women. The convention was seen by some of its contemporaries, including featured speaker Mott as one important step among many others in the continuing effort by women to gain for themselves a greater proportion of social, civil and moral rights while it was viewed by others as a revolutionary beginning to the struggle by women for complete equality with men. Stanton considered the Seneca Falls Convention to be the