Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the leaders of the woman suffrage movement, and on Tuesday, in celebration, the fourth-graders of East Street School in Hicksville, New York created delightful birthday cards to commemorate the day. Fifty-seven children listened attentively to a reading of the wonderful children’s book, Elizabeth Leads the Way, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote, by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon.

They then created their cards, filling them with such thoughtful and poignant messages as “Thank you for fighting for the rights of women,” “You have changed the earth,” “You are very brave,” and, “Your dream came true.” The children all had different ideas on illustrating the birthday cards, and over bagels with cream cheese and butter joined a lively discussion on the importance of equal rights for everyone, both men and women, boys and girls.

The cards were collected and will be sent to the Women’s Rights National Park in Seneca Falls, which maintains the Stanton home.

The children at work, and some of their wonderful creations.Thank you children, for making Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s birthday so wonderful! And thanks also to their teachers for helping them to learn about this remarkable woman.