Petition by Lucy Stone and Antoinette Blackwell

Petition to the New Jersey Legislature from Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown Blackwell, 1868
Source, New Jersey Assembly, Minutes of Votes and Proceedings, 1868, 734.

On March 24, 1868 this petition was submitted to the New Jersey Legislature by Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown Blackwell.  The petition asked for the enfranchisement of women and reforms in married women’s property rights

To the Senate and Assembly of the State of New Jersey

The undersigned, citizens of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, pray your Honorable body to take such steps for the amendment of the Constitution of this State as will secure Women their right to vote.

Also, We pray your Honorable body so to amend the statutes of this State that Married Women may make a valid will of all property, real, personal and mixed, in the same manner that all other sane adult persons are now free to do.

Also, That a widow may be entitled to the life use of the whole of the deceased husband’s real estate, as the widower is now to the life use of the whole of his deceased wife’s real estate.

Also, That a widow may succeed to the ownership of the whole of her deceased husband’s personal property, in the same manner that a widower now succeeds to the ownership of the whole personal property of his wife.

LUCY STONE
ANTOINETTE B. BLACKWELL