America’s Best Idea: National Park Getaway

SENECA FALLS, NY – Come to this town on the Erie Canal and look straight-on at a revolutionary. You’ll see a firm jaw; a face intelligent and lined; eyes that reveal passion; and a ruffled collar and a flowered bonnet tied with a bow.

Martha Coffin Wright and the four other women who arranged the First Woman’s Rights Convention in 1848, along with some of their male supporters, stand in the visitor center of Women’s Rights National Historical Park. The group of bronze figures by sculptor Lloyd Lily includes Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the authors of the Declaration of Sentiments. The writers and signers of this document affirmed the position of Thomas Jefferson “that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing.” Their declaration amended the one that he had penned roughly three-quarters of a century earlier. The 19th-century reformers and rebels “[held] these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal” (emphasis added).

In addition to the bronze statues, see the exhibits and the park’s film. Explore the Stanton House, a white farmhouse where Stanton, her husband, and her children lived. Park rangers offer guided tours that focus on Stanton herself. With a movement that parallels the transformation of the First Woman’s Rights Convention from an idea nurtured by Stanton and others to an actual gathering on July 19-20, 1848, visitors can head from Stanton’s home to the Wesleyan Chapel, where the convention took place. Although the chapel is undergoing preservation and rehabilitation until spring 2010, ranger-led tours at this historic building put the convention in context.

Park Superintendent Tina Orcutt says, "Women's Rights NHP is a rare gem of the National Park System, where a social movement that challenged the definitions of freedom and equality was ignited. Visitors learn about the women who launched the 72-year struggle for women's suffrage. Having this park featured as a getaway during the peak of the autumn season is a great invitation to experience the richness of our nation's history in full color."

You can also take in the park with your cell phone as a guide. An audio tour called Dial and Discover features five park locations where you will meet dedicated, courageous individuals who rose up against their inferior status and improved the lives of millions of people.

Each week, National Park Getaways help people find new places to reconnect with nature, history, family, and friends. To see previous getaways visit www.nps.gov/getaways.