Signature of Elizabeth Cady Stanton

What it is

This is a handwritten cursive signature reading "Elizabeth Cady Stanton", written in black ink with long looping strokes and a flourish.

It is preserved as a digital record of her personal signature.

Why it matters

Stanton deliberately signed her name this way instead of using her husband's name, as was customary for married women at the time. This small but pointed choice reflected her broader belief that women should keep their own identity rather than be defined entirely through marriage.

Look closer

• What does the style of the signature — its flourish and confidence — suggest about the writer?
• Why might the choice of how to sign one's name have been considered a political statement in Stanton's era?
• What can a signature tell us, and what can't it tell us, about a historical figure?