The main U.S organisation fighting for Women’s Suffrage was the National American Women’s Suffrage Association-NAWSA, founded in 1869 by Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton. But over the next decades, successes were rare. Women in Wyoming got the vote in 1869, Colorado in 1893, and Idaho and Utah in 1896, in time for the 1896 Presidential election. Women in other states could not vote, so the NAWSA women concentrated on persuading state legislatures to submit suffrage amendments to state constitutions.
Alice being arrested
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After finishing high-school in 1901, Alice attended Swarthmore CollegePa because her Quaker grandfather was one of the College’s founding fathers. And mum Tacie was responsible for introducing Alice to the fight for women’s suffrage. Tacie was a devoted member of the NAWSA and often took Alice with her to the meetings.
After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Swarthmore in 1905, she went to the Columbia Uni School of Social Work in New York.
Perhaps American suffragettes should have gone to New Zealand or Australia for guidance, not Britain. NZ's suffrage campaign peaceably succeeded with women’s rights in 1893 and only later spread through Britain and its Empire etc.
Yet Alice Paul sailed to Britain, training in the Quakers’ Woodbrooke Settlement Birmingham (1907-10). Birmingham was where, in 1907, she became politically active and where she met Emmeline and Christobel Pankhurst. These were militant suffragettes who endorsed direct measures like heckling, window smashing and rock throwing, to raise public awareness about their cause. And the Pankhursts also held the political party in power responsible for discrimination against women.
Alice enrolled at Pennsylvania Uni on her return to the USA in 1910, earning a Ph.D in sociology and launched her career in 1912. Working within the NAWSA, Paul gathered a group of young women, many of whom had also worked in Britain with the Pankhursts and who were willing to drop NAWSA’s conservative tactics.
Alice Paul (1885-1977) was born in Mt Laurel N.J, the first child prominent Quakers, William and Tacie Paul. William Paul led a Trust Co. in N.J, which provided for comfortable family living. Nonetheless Alice was still taught the Quaker traditions of working for society, gender equality, non-materialism, closeness to nature, and modesty
After finishing high-school in 1901, Alice attended Swarthmore CollegePa because her Quaker grandfather was one of the College’s founding fathers. And mum Tacie was responsible for introducing Alice to the fight for women’s suffrage. Tacie was a devoted member of the NAWSA and often took Alice with her to the meetings.
After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Swarthmore in 1905, she went to the Columbia Uni School of Social Work in New York.
Perhaps American suffragettes should have gone to New Zealand or Australia for guidance, not Britain. NZ's suffrage campaign peaceably succeeded with women’s rights in 1893 and only later spread through Britain and its Empire etc.
Yet Alice Paul sailed to Britain, training in the Quakers’ Woodbrooke Settlement Birmingham (1907-10). Birmingham was where, in 1907, she became politically active and where she met Emmeline and Christobel Pankhurst. These were militant suffragettes who endorsed direct measures like heckling, window smashing and rock throwing, to raise public awareness about their cause. And the Pankhursts also held the political party in power responsible for discrimination against women.
Alice enrolled at Pennsylvania Uni on her return to the USA in 1910, earning a Ph.D in sociology and launched her career in 1912. Working within the NAWSA, Paul gathered a group of young women, many of whom had also worked in Britain with the Pankhursts and who were willing to drop NAWSA’s conservative tactics.
Alice Paul addressing thousands of women, 1913
Washington DC
From 1910-3, NAWSA focused on passing legislation at state and local levels by organising State referendums and tailoring the fight towards men. NAWSA believed that if the movement had more male supporters, it would be more persuasive to male legislators.
Leading the Congressional Committee of NAWSA in Washington DC, Alice assembled a mass march of suffragists around the most important government buildings: White House, Capitol Building, Treasury Building. This huge march took place in Mar 1913, the day before Pres Wilson’s inauguration. Photo pinterest!
From 1910-4, some western states gradually yielded to suffragette demands. The movement was winning the battle by slow instalments: Washington in 1910, California 1911, Arizona 1912, Kansas 1912, Oregon 1912, Illinois 1913, Nevada 1914 and Montana 1914. So it was evident to Paul that the struggle for women’s vote needed a change in strategy to get a Federal amendment passed.
By 1913 Alice organised eager young women who moved to each recalcitrant state, visiting newspapers and calling on local women to serve on vote-getting committees. Once the women had established themselves, the Congressional Union sent out a speaker. From there, each woman moved to a new town, until every town in a state had been canvassed, when the woman returned to Washington and made a report to that state’s congressman.
Washington DC
From 1910-3, NAWSA focused on passing legislation at state and local levels by organising State referendums and tailoring the fight towards men. NAWSA believed that if the movement had more male supporters, it would be more persuasive to male legislators.
Leading the Congressional Committee of NAWSA in Washington DC, Alice assembled a mass march of suffragists around the most important government buildings: White House, Capitol Building, Treasury Building. This huge march took place in Mar 1913, the day before Pres Wilson’s inauguration. Photo pinterest!
From 1910-4, some western states gradually yielded to suffragette demands. The movement was winning the battle by slow instalments: Washington in 1910, California 1911, Arizona 1912, Kansas 1912, Oregon 1912, Illinois 1913, Nevada 1914 and Montana 1914. So it was evident to Paul that the struggle for women’s vote needed a change in strategy to get a Federal amendment passed.
By 1913 Alice organised eager young women who moved to each recalcitrant state, visiting newspapers and calling on local women to serve on vote-getting committees. Once the women had established themselves, the Congressional Union sent out a speaker. From there, each woman moved to a new town, until every town in a state had been canvassed, when the woman returned to Washington and made a report to that state’s congressman.
Alice spent 3 years with the NAWSA, yet the marches on Washington were seen as too radical by some. So she broke with the NAWSA and joined the Congressional Union, seeking a Federal constitutional amendment. Then she formed the National Woman’s Party/NWP in 1916, headquartered in Washington. Under her leadership, the NWP became known for its radical tactics that propelled the Women’s Suffrage Movement. In Jan 1917, suffragists from the NWP marched down Pennsylvania Ave, stopping in front of the gate to Woodrow Wilson’s White House.
Despite the US’s entry into WWI in 1917, NWP refused to abandon their tactics! There were thousands of women from different states who volunteered to stand on the White House picket lines daily, in front of America’s policy makers and press. But public opinion in war-time US changed to that of disdain. The women’s attacks were seen as an unpatriotic menace to the U.S government; opponents attacked the women, taking their banners and inciting violence. And policemen never protected the picketers.
In Oct 1917, Paul was sentenced to 6 months in Occoquan Workhouse Prison Va. The prison cells were small, rat infested and dark, and the air fetid. Plus gaolers started brutal physical intimidation.
The women’s hunger strikes were to ensure the treatment of suffragists as political prisoners. So to deter the hunger strikes, prison officials began to force feed Paul 3 times daily. In solitary confinement, she was deprived of sleep by noise all night and eventually put into the psychiatric ward. The prison hoped that she’d be diagnosed as mentally insane, ending the legitimacy of the National Women’s Party. But she was considered sane by the gaol psychiatrist!
Almost immediately after the torture news broke, the NWP prisoners at Occoquan received support from some of the public, the press and politicians. The women were released from prison in late 1917.
Despite the US’s entry into WWI in 1917, NWP refused to abandon their tactics! There were thousands of women from different states who volunteered to stand on the White House picket lines daily, in front of America’s policy makers and press. But public opinion in war-time US changed to that of disdain. The women’s attacks were seen as an unpatriotic menace to the U.S government; opponents attacked the women, taking their banners and inciting violence. And policemen never protected the picketers.
In Oct 1917, Paul was sentenced to 6 months in Occoquan Workhouse Prison Va. The prison cells were small, rat infested and dark, and the air fetid. Plus gaolers started brutal physical intimidation.
The women’s hunger strikes were to ensure the treatment of suffragists as political prisoners. So to deter the hunger strikes, prison officials began to force feed Paul 3 times daily. In solitary confinement, she was deprived of sleep by noise all night and eventually put into the psychiatric ward. The prison hoped that she’d be diagnosed as mentally insane, ending the legitimacy of the National Women’s Party. But she was considered sane by the gaol psychiatrist!
Almost immediately after the torture news broke, the NWP prisoners at Occoquan received support from some of the public, the press and politicians. The women were released from prison in late 1917.
Silent Sentinels, picketing White House, 1917,
Library of Congress.
The 19th Amendment passed in both houses of Congress with the necessary 2/3 majority; it was ratified by the states and in Aug 1920, the Amendment was added to the Constitution. In 1923, Alice Paul proposed an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. But that was a longer battle.
Read Fearless Radicalism: Alice Paul and Her Fight for Women’s Suffrage, by Anna Reiter.
Library of Congress.
After WWI, Pres. Wilson returned home & encouraged legislatures to pass the 19th Amendment (Women’s Vote). The League of Women Voters (formed 1920) promoted social reform through education. But American women had a problem: only MEN could vote for the 19th amendment.
The 19th Amendment passed in both houses of Congress with the necessary 2/3 majority; it was ratified by the states and in Aug 1920, the Amendment was added to the Constitution. In 1923, Alice Paul proposed an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. But that was a longer battle.
Read Fearless Radicalism: Alice Paul and Her Fight for Women’s Suffrage, by Anna Reiter.