Guts and Determination...a woman in charge
Wow! How strange and turbulent things are right now! However, I believe we are on the cusp of something good and new. I keep seeing women stepping up, finding their voices and using them more than ever before. It is exciting and scary. I will not wax political now, although there is so much happening.
Women have been involved in politics forever. One that comes to mind today, especially, is Alice Paul. You probably know her name, but what do you really know about her?
Alice Paul was born in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, on January 11th, 1885, the oldest of four siblings. Her mother, Tacie Parry, was a suffragist, and her father was president of the Burlington Trust Company. They were Quakers and lived on a 265-acre farm and were raised to value simple living but also gender equality and advocacy. “When the Quakers were founded…one of their principles was and is equality of the sexes, so I never had any other idea…the principle was always there.”
Alice graduated first in her high school class and then attended Swarthmore College, which was co-founded by her grandfather, Judge William Parry. She graduated in 1905 with a degree in biology. Two years later, Alice moved to New York, earning a master’s degree in sociology from the New York School of Philanthropy (now Columbia University).
Shortly afterwards, she moved to England to focus her studies on social work. While there, she joined the British suffrage movement where she took part in militant protests, hunger strikes and picket lines and other forms of disobedience. She was passionate about suffrage. During this period, law enforcement arrested Alice on seven occasions and imprisoned her three times. Once, while imprisoned and carrying out a hunger strike, she was painfully force fed for weeks through a nasal tube.
In 1909, Alice returned to the states and attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1912 with a Ph.D. in economics. In 1922, she earned a law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University.
Alice teamed up with the fellow suffragist, Lucy Burns, whom she met while in London, and joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association. They were determined to amend the U.S. Constitution and see women take up their right to vote! The day before the inauguration of President-elect Woodrow Wilson, on March 3, 1913, they organized a protest parade. It was estimated that 8,000 women turned out. Wilson was influenced by their determination and met with them, but would not budge on the issue. He would not consider an amendment.
Four years later, the numbers of supporters had increased and in January approximately 2,000 women picketed the president’s home and executive offices still fighting for their right to vote. This went on for 18 months, six days a week! The women wore white dresses and protested silently. They were called “Silent Sentinels” carrying signs with messages such as, “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” and “An autocrat at home is a poor champion of democracy abroad.” During this campaign, over 150 women were arrested, charged with obstruction of traffic, and were harassed, beaten, and jailed.
Alice was arrested and sentenced to seven months in the Occoquan Workhouse jail. She and other suffragists were chained, beaten and held in less than human conditions. Once again, in protest, Alice began a hunger strike. They transferred her to a psychiatric ward and force fed her.
Soon reports of the deplorable conditions in the prison and Alice’s hunger strike made headlines. At this point, there were a few factors in play; public sympathy for the women, the U.S.’s entry into World War I, and women filling roles on the home front. President Wilson finally relented and supported the 19th Amendment, calling it “a war measure.” Congress passed the 19th Amendment and on August 18th, 1920, it was ratified.
I felt compelled to write about a strong women activists today considering the current world situation. They always inspire me. I hope Alice and her fellow suffragists inspired you, too. PLEASE vote. They worked so hard to gain us the ability to do so...don’t squander it.
More next week about the women from the book brigade in Britain during World War II.
Then there is this for today!
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