Women’s History Month in the North Country — Celebrate the Past, Inspire the Future
Each year, as we mark the month of March as Women’s History Month — we remember the tremendous women leaders who worked to make this country what it is today. Women like Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, Harriet Tubman — and the list goes on. These women, along with the many strong and courageous women who stood by their side, represent the strength and tenacity of this great country. They were women who refused to accept the status quo and worked tirelessly to advance their respective causes.
What few realize is the unique role the North Country of New York played in advancing women’s rights in the United States. Born in 1815 — right here in our own backyard of Johnstown, New York — Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the pioneers of the early women’s suffrage moment. She attended the esteemed Johnstown Academy until she was 16 and then graduated from the Troy Female Seminary.
Together with other early suffragists, Stanton helped organize and lead the Seneca Falls Convention. Over the course of two days in July of 1848 over 300 people gathered to “discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of Woman.” It was there that Stanton drafted the landmark Declaration of Sentiments — a groundbreaking document modeled off of the Declaration of Independence — in which Stanton and 99 other men and women solidified the foundation of the women’s rights movement.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world…”
- Declaration of Sentiments
The seeds of the women right’s movement were sown in the North Country culminating with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. As the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, I certainly would not be here today without the passion, dedication and activism of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
However, the legacy of woman leaders in New York does not end with Elizabeth Cady Stanton — to this day women in the North Country are proudly following in her footsteps and becoming leaders in their own right.
Take for example Brigadier General Diana Holland who first made history as the first female general at Fort Drum as well as the first Deputy Commanding General for Support of the 10th Mountain Division.
After serving with pride and distinction at Fort Drum — including a recent deployment to Afghanistan — Brigadier General Holland was named the first female Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where she continues to exemplify leadership and inspire cadets from across the country.
Cadets such as Mary and Katie McCurry, identical twin sisters from a military family who I met when they were seniors in high school in Carthage, New York, who are currently enrolled at West Point. I had the immense privilege of visiting these two young cadets as they completed Cadet Basic Training at West Point last July.
I have no doubts that these two fine cadets will continue to grow as citizens, soldiers, and leaders and will serve their country with honor and distinction.
North Country women are also leading out of uniform. Two pieces of legislation that I introduced in Congress were inspired by meetings I had with two outstanding women from New York.
Last May, I met with Teresa Henning, wife and caregiver of a wounded warrior from Alexandria Bay who shared her story and the challenges she faces as the sole caregiver for her hero husband. It was her account that led me to introduce H.R. 3989, the Support Our Military Caregivers Act, legislation that would reform the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Family Caregiver Program to better support family members caring for seriously wounded veterans.
Early on in my tenure in Congress I met with educators and administrators from throughout my district to discuss their unique perspectives on the state of higher education in the North Country. One of those administrators was Dr. Carole McCoy, President of Jefferson Community College in Watertown. Carole McCoy raised the issue of modernizing Pell Grants to adapt to contemporary students who are older, may have a family, and work full- or part-time jobs. These students are looking to quickly and affordably earn a degree that will help them compete and succeed in the workforce.
We discussed how Pell Grants can be updated to include summer and winter classes so students can use these funds at an accelerated pace, graduate and enter the workforce sooner, leading to less overall debt. These conversations are why I introduced the Flexible Pell Grant for 21st Century Students Act — common sense legislation that expands flexibility for Pell Grants so that these important education resources are available for qualifying students all year round.
With access to Pell during the summer months, students may continue their studies year-round and accelerate degree completion. We believe adult students, in particular, who desire to complete their degree and enter the workplace as quickly as possible will greatly benefit from the act.” - Dr. Carole McCoy, President, Jefferson Community College
It was Carole McCoy’s innovative ideas and genuine concern for her students that turned into real action to make higher education more affordable and more accessible for students.
Trailblazers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton paved the way for universal suffrage in the United States which allowed women like Brigadier General Diane Holland and Mary and Katie McCurry to serve our country in uniform and lead the next generations of soldiers, as well as women like Carole McCoy and Teresa Henning, to work towards the betterment of their community. These women are all leaders in their own right, and they are tremendous role models for young girls too look up to — in the North Country and beyond.
However, while great strides have been made in women’s rights in this country, there is still progress to be made — starting right here in the halls of Congress. Over the course of the entire history of the United States, over 12,000 individuals have served in Congress, yet, only 313 of those individuals were women — that’s less than 3 percent.
Today, 20% of the 114th Congress is made up of women, yet women make up the majority of voters in this country. We need to encourage young women to run for office and become civic leaders in their own communities.
We must do better. Women are bipartisan. We bring a different perspective on every issue. And I believe that every issue is a woman’s issue. We are increasingly the breadwinners, the college graduates, the decision makers related to our family’s healthcare, the bookkeepers. We are not just a coalition, we are the majority of voters in this country and we are the future of this country. Each woman brings a unique perspective to the table, and it’s important to echo that perspective in town halls, state legislatures and in Congress.
I want to end with some short pieces of advice for young women who are thinking about making the foray into politics, be it student council, town government, state legislature or beyond:
- The importance of fearlessness: Remember, luck favors the brave. When I first decided to run for Congress everyone — friends, family, so called “experts” — thought I was crazy, I was too young, I should wait my turn. But as I look back the biggest lesson I remember is that I was willing to lose and that was a powerful feeling.
- Embrace your authenticity and embrace the fact that you bring a different perspective as a woman. I was told to hide my youth when I first ran for Congress. Instead of listening to that advice I embraced who I was — a 29 year old woman who thought that we, as a country, needed representation from multiple generations in Congress. That message resonated with young voters, but seniors as well.
- Lastly, there is no substitute for hard work: My dad used to — and still — says to me “Don’t tell me how smart you are Elise, tell me how hard you work.” For me that meant driving over 100,000 miles to meet with constituents all over the district, doing my homework, learning the issues I don’t know and studying them even more. I told one of my friends early on “I know this is a long shot, but no one will out work me.”
The statue below rests in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol. This monument depicts three pioneers of the women’s suffrage movement: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott. Yet the back corner of the monument remains jagged and raw — representing the unfinished work that remains to empower women leaders in the United States and abroad. We in Congress must continue to work for the betterment of all people and allow every little girl and little boy the opportunity to succeed and achieve their individual American Dream.
