Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, New York on November 12, 1815 to Margaret Livingston and Judge Daniel Cady. Elizabeth, was born into a family of 11, and was the 7th born. Part of Elizabeth’s inspiration came from the death of her brother, the only male sibling. When her brother died at a young age, Elizabeth was sitting on her father’s lap, he was grieving over the death of his son, he looked at Elizabeth and said “Oh how I wish you were a boy”. Young Elizabeth responded, “I will try to be everything my brother was.” Elizabeth knew that in order to be everything that her brother was some serious adjustments in society and women’s rights would be necessary. Elizabeth went to her pastor the day after her brother’s death and told him that she needed to become well educated in math and higher language classes, this was her desire at age 11. Her determination never died; Elizabeth won the Greek competition, even though she was the only girl in these higher level classes at Johnstown Academy where she attended school. She immediately went to tell her father, and was astonished when he told her, again, that she should have been a boy.

In 1854, Elizabeth Cady Stanton made another huge accomplishment for women; she was the first woman given permission to speak in front of the New York Legislature. Her father heard that she would be delivering her first of many speeches, and he asked her to stop by Johnstown on his way. During the visit with her father, she realized her hard work had paid off. Her father told her how proud he was of her, and asked how she became so determined. She told him he was the reason.