Women's Rights National Historical Park

Women's Rights National Historical Park Women's Rights NHP celebrates and commemorates the First Women's Rights Convention in the US. If you don't comply, your message will be removed.

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Welcome to the Women's Rights National Historical Park page! While this is an open forum, it is also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments and wall posts clean. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines. We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racist comments or submissions, nor do we all

ow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. Finally, the appearance of external links on this site does not constitute an official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. National Park Service or the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Susan B. Anthony believed that riding a bike, which she did many times herself, was a symbol of women’s independence. A ...
06/05/2026

Susan B. Anthony believed that riding a bike, which she did many times herself, was a symbol of women’s independence. A bicycle gave a woman the power to move freely without relying on men for transport. She once said in 1896, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” She championed the bicycle as a part of women’s emancipation in the late 19th century.

Today, we find people still enjoying the freedom of riding a bicycle from the wind in their face to the freedom of exploring places where cars sometimes cannot go.

Looking for more bicycle adventures? Check out the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor trails and visit Women’s Rights National Historical Park along the way: https://eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling

Photo: The start, Women standing with bicycle, 1897, Library of Congress.

Calling All Homeschool Families!Join us on September 9 or 10 for a fun and educational day exploring historic Seneca Fal...
06/01/2026

Calling All Homeschool Families!

Join us on September 9 or 10 for a fun and educational day exploring historic Seneca Falls!

This immersive program is designed for children ages 8–12, accompanied by an adult.

Hands-on learning at:
Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry
Women’s Rights National Historical Park
Seneca Falls Historical Society
National Women’s Hall of Fame

Topics include:
Canal & Industry Growth
Women’s Rights Movement
Life in the Gilded Age
Inspiring American Women

📌 Pre-registration opens August 1
👩‍👧 Not a drop-off program – adults must attend
📣 Stay tuned for registration details!

Today is officially 50 days until the 178th annual Convention Days: Unfinished Resolutions on July 17-19, 2026 – let the...
05/28/2026

Today is officially 50 days until the 178th annual Convention Days: Unfinished Resolutions on July 17-19, 2026 – let the countdown begin! ⏳

Women’s Rights National Historical Park was thrilled to commission local Seneca County artist, Karen Haas, for this watercolor painting, which will also be used for the 2026 Convention Days poster image.

In the artist’s own words: “This watercolor painting is reflective of the passing of the fight for Women’s Rights from the first generation, here in Seneca Falls in the 1840s, through to today, a young girl just starting to understand how important this fight still is today. The Wesleyan Chapel overlooks the scene from outside, as the woman passes on the resolution paper to the young woman. [Karen Haas] hopes this painting is reflective of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations for herself, her daughter, and for women everywhere who simply want the freedom to choose how they live their lives, from beginning to end.”

Follow along as we countdown to the 2026 Convention Days: Unfinished Resolutions event and announce the featured speakers, community partners, ranger programs, and special weekend activities. Learn more about Convention Days and watch for upcoming program announcements on our website: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2026.htm

Photo: Watercolor painting by Karen Haas commissioned by Women’s Rights NHP for Convention Days 2026: Unfinished Resolutions. A woman from 1848 (on the left) hands a document to a young girl (right) with the Wesleyan Chapel visible in the window.

This weekend is "Celebrate Commemorate Memorial Day" in Waterloo, New York. The M'Clintock House will be open for a spe...
05/22/2026

This weekend is "Celebrate Commemorate Memorial Day" in Waterloo, New York. The M'Clintock House will be open for a special open house and ranger programs on Saturday.

The M'Clintock family helped organize the 1848 Women's Rights Convention. The M'Clintocks collaborated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to write the Declaration of Sentiments in their home. As you visit their home in Waterloo, you will learn about the life and times of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock, their five children, and their work in reform movements, including abolition.

The house will be open for visitors from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Please visit anytime within that period. Ranger Talks will be at 1pm and 2pm. There is no admission fee. We'll also have a table in LaFayette Park. Stop by and chat with a ranger if you're in the park!

See more details on our calendar: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=FBF544E3-C538-4375-02C7966C864E87CA

05/18/2026

In honor of AAPI Heritage month, we're sharing the story of Tye Leung Schulze. By living boldly in a world of restrictions, Leung challenged expectations around women’s employment, marriage, and voting.

In 1910, Leung broke barriers to become the first Chinese American woman to be employed by the federal government. While a translator and interpreter for courts in San Francisco, she took the civil service exam to become a translator for detained Chinese immigrants at Angel Island Immigration Station. There, Leung met and married Charles Schulze, a fellow Angel Island employee. The couple went to Washington State where in*******al marriage was allowed, in order to be wed.

When the state of California enfranchised women in 1911, Leung was among the women who voted in the 1912 presidential election. This made her the first Chinese woman to vote in the United States.

Her commitment to her community in San Francisco continued as she provided translation services for members of the Chinese community for many years.

Learn more about the life of Tye Leung Schulze: https://www.nps.gov/people/tye-leung-schulze.htm.

Image: Portrait of Tye Leung Schulze. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library

Summer is almost here! And with it, we move to summer operations schedule. From May 23-August 28:The Visitor Center/Muse...
05/16/2026

Summer is almost here! And with it, we move to summer operations schedule. From May 23-August 28:

The Visitor Center/Museum (136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls, NY) and Wesleyan Chapel are open Monday-Thursday, 10am to 4pm and Friday-Sunday, 9am-5pm.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton House (32 Washington Street, Seneca Falls, NY) is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10am-12pm an 1:30pm-3:30pm.

The M'Clintock House (14 East Williams Street, Waterloo, NY) is open during 4th of July, Convention Days and special events for Waterloo--including Saturday during Memorial weekend.

Park Grounds are open Daily from Dawn to Dusk.

To plan your visit, please use our webpage: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/index.htm

May is Historic Preservation Month. This throwback photo shows archeologists excavating the Elizabeth Cady Stanton home....
05/15/2026

May is Historic Preservation Month. This throwback photo shows archeologists excavating the Elizabeth Cady Stanton home. After the Stantons left, other families lived in the home and made their own modifications. Excavation and other methods can give us clues to how the building was in 1848.

When you visit a National Historical Park, you are seeing the result of research and careful decisions to give you the best representation possible of the site. Learning about our historic places offers connections to the past, but not everyone has the ability to travel to these locations. If you would like to take a digital walk in the parks, check out: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/teachingwithhistoricplaces/index.htm

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we share the story of Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese ...
05/11/2026

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we share the story of Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese American immigrant, economist, suffragist, and women’s rights activist.

Born in 1896 in Guangzhou, China, Mabel Lee and her family moved to New York City’s Chinatown in 1905, when her father, the Rev. Lee Towe, was assigned to lead the Morningstar Mission. Lee excelled academically, earning a prestigious Boxer Indemnity Scholarship, a program for Chinese students to study in the United States. She then enrolled at Barnard College. She was deeply involved in the women’s suffrage movement – leading the nation’s largest suffrage parade at the time in New York City on May 4, 1912 on horseback. Lee’s participation in the parade strategically challenged prevailing stereotypes about Chinese women while advocating for women’s equality and empowerment, both here in the United States and abroad.

Throughout her education, activism, and leadership in the national Chinese Students Alliance (CSA), Mabel Lee bridged cultures and communities. She continued to educate Americans about the achievements of women in China. She also urged Chinese communities, through a series of essays published in the Chinese Students’ Monthly, to embrace women’s rights and education as essential to national progress. As much as Lee fought for suffrage in New York City, she was still deemed ineligible for citizenship (and the vote) being born in China due to the Chinese Exclusion Acts (1882-1943), –highlighting contradictions at the heart of the movement she supported.

In 1921, Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee made history again by becoming the first Chinese woman to earn a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University. She would dedicate the rest of her life to serving her community in New York’s Chinatown by establishing the First Chinese Baptist Church and community center, which offered education, health services, job training and support for Chinese immigrants. After paving the way for so many others, it remains unclear whether she herself ever applied for citizenship or voted.

Learn more about the life of Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee: https://www.nps.gov/people/mabel-lee.htm

[Image description: Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee wearing a large overcoat and holding flowers; Bain News Service, Library of Congress]

During AAPI month, join a ranger for a pop-up living history program – “Voices Without Ballots: Chinese Americans in the Suffrage Movement." Visit the park's event calendar for more information and program times: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

May is Historic Preservation Month. The Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1843. Throughout the years it was a beacon for ref...
05/08/2026

May is Historic Preservation Month.

The Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1843. Throughout the years it was a beacon for reformers needing a place to share their ideas and support their causes. The Women’s Rights Convention took place in the Chapel on July 19 - 20, 1848, expanding the movement advocating equal rights for all.

The Chapel itself experienced many changes over the years. After the building was sold in 1872, various businesses used it for a little over a century. The Chapel served as an opera house, a movie theater, a car shop, a roller skating rink and an apartment building with a laundromat. In the 1930s, New York state placed a historic marker on the street corner, commemorating the Women’s Rights Convention of 1848.

By the 1960s and 1970s, both individuals and organizations in Seneca Falls and beyond wanted to protect the Wesleyan Chapel and the historic houses where Convention organizers lived during 1848. Support for a National Park Service (NPS) site grew. Women’s Rights National Historical Park was established in 1980.

NPS acquired the Chapel in 1985. Agency experts conducted extensive historical studies to investigate which parts of the structure were original. NPS held a design competition in the late 1980s to determine the Chapel’s preservation treatment with input from local communities. The winning architects, Ray Kinosh*ta and Ann Wills Marshall, created a monument commemorating the First Woman’s Rights Convention that incorporated material from the original building. Due to concerns about preservation and resource protection, NPS completed a second renovation in 2011, restoring the Chapel to its approximate 1848 appearance, using historic blueprints. NPS chose to keep the original bricks, plaster and wooden roof beams visible for visitors to admire.

Now future generations will be able to visit the preserved Wesleyan Chapel and learn about the impactful ideas of the Declaration of Sentiments in the place it was first read in public.

Learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel: https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/wesleyan-chapel.htm

On this day in history in 1912, New York City witnessed the nation’s largest suffrage parade up to that time. Organized ...
05/04/2026

On this day in history in 1912, New York City witnessed the nation’s largest suffrage parade up to that time. Organized by Harriet Stanton Blatch, - the daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and leader of the Women’s Political Union, - the parade was designed to be so provocative that it would be impossible to ignore, thus driving attention and support for women’s voting rights.

At 5 p.m. in Washington Square Park, fifty women on horseback led an estimated 15,000 women marchers up Fifth Avenue. At the front was 16-year-old Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese immigrant and suffragist, whose participation drew national attention. While newspapers both celebrated and sensationalized her as a symbol of China’s recent revolution, Lee used the moment to challenge American stereotypes and highlight global progress.

As the parade continued, sections of women professionals, educators, and activists marched alongside international delegates and suffrage pioneers. One of the most anticipated groups were the representatives from New York’s Chinatown, including Pearl Mark Loo and Lee Lai Beck (Mabel Lee’s mother) among others. They marched in traditional clothing and carried both the flag of the new Republic of China and banners declaring “Light from China.” The march ended at Carnegie Hall where Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), emphasized that the United States was falling behind nations like China in recognizing women’s rights.

Chinese women’s enfranchisement remained at the center of American suffrage debates throughout 1912, cited by both supporters and critics. Chinese American women strategically used this visibility to advocate for U.S. citizenship and civil rights, despite ongoing prejudice and the Chinese Exclusion Acts (1882-1943).

[Image description: several women on horseback during the New York City suffrage parade on May 4, 1912, taken by the Bain News Service]

Want to learn more about the fight for Chinese American citizenship and suffrage? Join a ranger for a pop-up living history program, – “Voices Without Ballots: Chinese Americans in the Suffrage Movement,” throughout AAPI history month. Please see the park’s event calendar for more information and program times: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

Address

136 Fall Street
Seneca Falls, NY
13148

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+13155680024

Website

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