Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences 1815–1897

What it is

Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences 1815-1897 is the autobiography of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, held by the Library of Congress. It is dedicated to her close friend and collaborator Susan B. Anthony and covers her life from childhood through her decades of activism.

Why it matters

This book is Stanton's own account of her life, including her childhood, the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention in London that pushed her toward activism, and the organizing of the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls. As an autobiography written near the end of her life, it reflects how Stanton herself wanted her story and the movement's history remembered.

Look closer

• Why might someone writing their own life story choose to emphasize certain events, like the Seneca Falls convention, over others?
• What chapters does Stanton devote to collaborators like Susan B. Anthony, and what does that suggest about their partnership?
• How might an autobiography differ from a biography written by someone else?