The first cause that brought many women together wasn’t women’s rights. It was the movement to get rid of slavery. Black and white women began to speak out.
They wanted the right to take part in politics. Still, many anti-slavery groups didn’t accept female members.
In 1833, Lucretia Mott helped form the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. Similar groups began in other cities. In these groups, women learned how to organize a drive and print booklets. They also learned how to lead meetings, write petitions, and speak to crowds. In 1840, Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton went to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. But they weren’t allowed to take part. The two decided to fight for women’s rights.
