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Quote by Lucretia Mott

“It is related of Buonaparte, that he one day rebuked a French lady for busying herself with politics. "Sire," replied she, "in a country where women are put to death, it is very natural that women should wish to know why." And, dear sisters, in a country where women are degraded and brutalized, and where their exposed persons bleed under the lash-- where they are sold in the shambles of "negro brokers"-- robbed of their heard earnings-- torn from their husbands, and forcibly plundered of their virtue and their offspring; surely in such a country, it is very natural that women should wish to know "the reason why"-- especially when these outrages of blood and nameless horror are practiced in violation of the principles of our Constitution. We do not, then, and cannot concede the position, that because this is a political subject women ought to fold their hands in idleness, and close their eyes and ears to the "horrible things" that are practiced in our land. The denial of our duty to act is a bold denial of our right to act; and if we have no right to act, then may we well be termed "the white slaves of the North"-- for like our brethren in bonds, we must seal our lips in silence and despair.”

Quote by Lucretia Mott

Author

Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Mott

Lucretia Mott was an American social reformer and abolitionist, a prominent figure in the women's rights movement and the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century. Born on January 3, 1793, she was deeply involved in the religious and social issues of her time. Mott's advocacy for women's rights began in the 1830s, and she played a significant role in the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, which is often considered the birthplace of the American women's rights movement. She was also actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and was a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Mott passed away on November 11, 1880. more

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