Alice Paul

1
Alice Paul

• As recently as 1920, women were denied specific
  rights such as the right to vote. Suffragettes
  such as Alice Paul fought hard for women to earn
  their rights, even going so far as to starve
  themselves to make their point. How did the
  actions of Alice Paul influence America in
  regards to womens rights?

2
(No Transcript)
3
Alice Paul was one of the leading advocates of
womens rights in the early twentieth century.
Pictured here with a flag for the National
Womens Party, Paul represented the more radical
segment of the national movement for gender
equality. Harris Ewing. (1920). Alice Paul,
full-length portrait, standing, facing left,
raising glass with right hand. Library of
Congress American Memory, By Popular Demand
"Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920.
4
(No Transcript)
5
Pauls protests and the publics reaction to them
often got international attention. This British
article describes a time when she was arrested
and put in prison for protesting. While in
prison, Paul went on a hunger strike, which upset
the prison guards. They force-fed her through
tubes. In this article, Paul claims that similar
methods had been used before, both in America and
in England. There she worked with British
activists to spread the cause of womens rights
across the Atlantic. Unknown. (1909). Alice
Paul Describes Force Feeding. Library of
Congress American Memory, Miller NAWSA Suffrage
Scrapbooks, 1897-1911.
6
(No Transcript)
7
Paul was active in both America and England for
most her career. This article describes some of
her activities abroad, including a vocal protest
in front of British Prime Minister Herbert
Asquith. Unknown. (n.d.). Alice Paul talks
.... (page 2). Library of Congress American
Memory, Votes for Women Selections from the
National American Woman Suffrage Association
Collection, 1848-1921.
8
(No Transcript)
9
Pauls protest strategy involved large public
demonstrations in prominent areas of cities.
Here, the National Womens Party, a group
co-founded by Paul, protested along a busy street
in Chicago. Unknown. (1916). Suffragists
demonstrating against Woodrow Wilson in Chicago,
1916. Library of Congress American
Memory, Women of Protest Photographs from the
Records of the National Woman's Party.
10
(No Transcript)
11
Some of the largest womens rights protests in
the country were organized by Pauls groups. Here
is a scene from a famous 1914 protest in which
Paul led National Womens Party members onto the
steps of the U.S. Capitol to advocate for womens
suffrage. Harris Ewing. (1914). Nation-wide
demonstrations were held on May 2nd in support of
Federal Amendment. Envoys from these
demonstrations brought petitions to Washington on
May 9th and carried them in procession to
Congress from Lafayette Square. Five thousand
women massed on and about the East Steps of the
Capitol singing Ethel Smyth's Hymn of the Women
before entering the Rotunda to deliver the
petitions. Library of Congress American
Memory, Women of Protest Photographs from the
Records of the National Woman's Party.