The authors parallel the Declaration of Independence due to its call for equality. The latter claims that all men are created equal and, therefore, should enjoy the same rights and freedoms. In this way, the authors of the Declaration of Sentiments argue that men and women are equal and have the same inalienable rights. The right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are universal to human beings regardless of gender. These rights are drawn from the Declaration of Independence, and the government has to respect them and ensure that all citizens access them. In this way, Stanton an Mott feel that they have the right to denounce allegiance to the government due to its failure to protect equality. Further, they feel that the state has interfered with women's right to happiness and safety, which is a contradiction of the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, their decision to air their sentiments was a way of urging the government to implement the Declaration of Independence without gender discrimination.
The authors of the Declaration of Sentiments argue against the economic privileges enjoyed by men. Women providing labor in the industries are paid through their husbands, and they do not have the right to own property. In addition, the wages for men are higher than those of women despite doing the same amount of work. Women are also prohibited from elections that select their representatives in the labor unions. As a result, women cannot voice their struggles to the unions since they do not participate in the elections. Further, women were morally corrupt since it was legal for them to commit crimes with impunity provided their husbands were presents. Men also had control of divorce proceedings since they drafted the laws that determined the guardianship of children and ownership of property even when women were not satisfied with them. .
Men also interfered with the right to education, religion, and profitability from property ownership.
