▁F oster , ▁and ▁Thomas ▁W ent worth ▁H ig gin son , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁been ▁important ▁figures ▁in ▁the ▁abol ition ist ▁movement . ▁ ▁Lucy ▁Stone , ▁a ▁pione ering ▁worker ▁for ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁leading ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁organization , ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁moved ▁to ▁Boston ▁from ▁New ▁Jersey ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁deeply ▁involved ▁in ▁its ▁planning . ▁She ▁attended ▁the ▁found ing ▁convention , ▁however ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁organization ' s ▁executive ▁committee . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁convention ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁England ▁Woman ▁Su ff rage ▁Association ▁( NE WS A ) ▁was ▁formed ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁during ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁last ▁day ▁of ▁a ▁regional ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁convention ▁in ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts , ▁where ▁the ▁new ▁organization ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁head qu arter ed . ▁Instead ▁of ▁dist ancing ▁itself ▁from ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁as ▁Anthony ▁and ▁St anton ▁were ▁doing , ▁the ▁pl ann ers ▁for ▁the ▁NE WS A ▁convention ▁worked ▁to ▁attract ▁Republican ▁support ▁and ▁se ated ▁leading ▁Republican ▁polit icians , ▁including ▁a ▁U . S . ▁sen ator , ▁on ▁the ▁speaker ' s ▁platform . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁NE WS A ▁convention , ▁Congress ▁was ▁considering ▁the ▁proposed ▁Fif teenth ▁Am end ment , ▁which ▁would ▁prohib it ▁the ▁den ial ▁of ▁suff rage ▁because ▁of ▁race ▁but ▁would ▁not , ▁as ▁many ▁women ▁suff rag