Alice Paul Research Paper

Alice Paul

American History 09/23/2015

Ashly Appelhanz, 95782

Alice Paul was born January 11, 1885 in New Jersey. She had 4 siblings and she was the oldest of them. Mother was Tracie Paul and her father was Mickle Paul. She was a part of a household that was raised in the Quaker tradition. “Quaker is a Christian movement which professes the priesthood of all believers. They include those with evangelical, holiness, liberal, and conservative understanding of Christianity. The Religious Society of friends avoids creeds and hierarchical structures.” Quaker was a view of recognizing that women are separate people from men. Tracie, her mother was a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and Alice’s father would at times join her mother. Being a part of the Quaker, is how Alice came to learn about the suffrage movement. Alice was the only child to graduate from college and with a Bachelor’s Degree in

Biology in 1905 at Swarthmore College.

Alice eventually received her M.A. in sociology in 1907 from University of Pennsylvania. Soon after this she remained in school at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Center, which was very close to England. While she was in England she met a family by the name of Pankhurst, which was a mother and 2 daughters. This is where she joined the WSPU, Woman’s Social and Political Union which was started by the Pankhurst family. She was involved in window smashing, and throwing rocks. During this time she was arrested several times and served 3 separate jail terms and also going on a hunger strike. After serving in jail she shortly returned to England in 1910 and eared her Ph.D. in Economics.

Carrie Chapman Catt was the President of the NAWSA at the time that er methods were not working to make a change in 1913. Word of Alice and the work done in England was something that Carrie felt that the association would need to move the process of change faster. Alice assumed leadership in Washington in 1913 and she created a plan to organize a mass march of suffragist’s women and men. Alice chose these building because they represented the important officials of the U.S. Alice organized the “1913 Woman’s Suffrage Parade” and it was held in Washington. There was a banner made that said “We Demand an Amendment to the United States Constitution Enfranchising the Women of the Country.” In this parade thousands of suffragists, walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, the point of this parade was to inform President Wilson that women should no longer be excluded from political society. It is said that this parade was the start of the successful campaign that resulted in its passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920

National American Woman Suffrage Association is also known as NAWSA was created in May of 1869. It was founder by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The NAWSA was used to oppose the 15th Amendment unless it involved the right for woman to vote. It also focused on, the right of women education and employment opportunities. The Presidents of the NAWSA were, Elizabeth Stanton in 1890-1892, Susan B. Anthony in 1892-1900, Carrie Chapman Catt in 1900-1904, Anna Howard Shaw in 1900-1904, Carrie Chapman Catt again in 1915-1947 and Caroline McCormick Slade 1947-1951 and in 1996.

There was a lot of frustration through the NAWSA polices and how Alice thought things should be done. So Alice left the Association and wanted more of a militant union. She then met with Lucy Burns who was the founder of Congressional Union for Woman and was later named National Woman’s Party. Their goal was to make a change but on a federal level. In 1917, the NWP picketed the White House while Wilson was president. This made them the very first group to ever do such actions. Alice was placed in jail in October and November of that same year due to protests.

Women Suffrages suffered horrific punishment for standing their ground.

Some of the punishment was force feeding these women when they went on a hunger strike while in jail. Force feeding was very painful and caused a lot of damage and pain. A esophageal tube was entered in the mouth and forced down the throat. The women would be help down by their hair and usually over the edge of a chair. Their chins would be forced down and the tube would be forced through there gag. While the feeding would occur the lips, cheeks, and gums were frequently bruised and would bleed and gain sores. Their mouths, and throats would be extremely sore for days after a feeding.

Another way of punishment for these women was called “Occoquan Workhouse”. It was opened in 1912 in Lorton, VA. These were dirty, over populated, overly hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and had ill equipped cells. The women that were placed in these cells were not treated fairly. Because of the women protests during World War I, these women were sentenced to

imprisonment.

In 1920 the woman won the “Right to Vote” with the passing of the 19th Amendment. Alice then began to work on Empowerment for women. She introduced the Equal Rights Amendment in 1923, and also worked on Civil Rights Bill and Fair Employment. Equal Rights Amendment was also known as “ERA” is the meaning of equality for women. There were different types of woman that were for the ERA and against it. The Middle class women were for the ERA where as the working class was against. The ERA was meant to give women special protection in work conditions and their hours.

Alice’s mother was a member of the NAWSA and took Alice to meetings quite often. For Alice, this was a huge part of her life and is cause for her being so involved in the future. With the Quaker tradition of equality of sexes and for her father Tracie for introducing the suffrage struggle it was bound to be Alice’s future in some way or another.