In the late spring of 1850, those who had taken up the cause decided to hold a national convention to test the proposition that a political movement for woman's rights could garner support from around the country. The question was: Would anyone come to such a gathering? Woman's rights pioneers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Abby Kelley, and Lucretia Mott were not satisfied with just having one convention. Since their discussions and requests had generated a lot of discussion and publicity, these ladies decided to host yet another convention. These women were not alone as male reformers as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, and William Lloyd Garrison were there to offer support.
On October 23rd, the convention took place at Brinley Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. The New York Tribune reported that "above 1,000 people were present, and if a larger place could have been had, many more thousands would have attended."The goal was to create a national organization and a plan of action. The need for equal rights for women was addressed repeatedly by numerous speakers.
Although a few newspapers, such as the Massachusetts Spy, had positive things to say about the convention, most reviews were disapproving and hateful. However, even the negative attention that was directed to the woman's rights movement helped win converts to the cause. National conventions begun to occur more and more frequently, with one being held yearly, through 1860.
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