Alice Paul Taking A Stand For Women s Rights Zoie Hammer Historical Paper Junior Division Paper Length: 1921 words
1 Alice Paul was a suffragette and during her life she took a stand to fight for women s rights by protesting, drafting, and introducing the Equal Rights Amendment. She was a fearless leader who believed in equal rights for women so much so that she even led hunger strikes while being jailed for protesting. Alice Paul s actions brought light to the unequal treatment of men and women. Without the help of Alice Paul, women would not be treated even close to equally as compared to men. Alice Paul worked hardest on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Alice Paul was born on January 11, 1885 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey to a Quaker family. 1 A Quaker is a group of Christians and they believed that men and women were supposed to be treated equally, so Alice Paul grew up believing men and women were equal. 2 Her father was a banker and a businessman, and her family lived without worries of money. Alice was the oldest of four children. Tacie, Alice s mother, took her to many women s suffrage meetings during her childhood. So when Alice grew up, she spent the rest of her life helping women gain rights equal to those of men. In 1907, Alice earned her M.A. in sociology from the university of 1 Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, Alice Paul, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 1991. 2 Foner and Garraty.
Pennsylvania. This is also where she completed her Ph.D writing her dissertation on the legal rights of women in the state. 3 Also in 1907, Alice Paul won a scholarship to study at a Quaker school in England. 4 When Alice was in England, she met another suffragette named Lucy Burns. Lucy became Alice s lifelong friend and assisted her in the fight for women s rights. In 1922, Alice also earned a law degree from the Washington College of Law, and in addition to this, in 1928, she earned a Ph.D. in law from American University. 5 Alice Paul was highly intelligent and well educated. While in England, Alice Paul worked with Christabel Pankhurst for women s rights. They campaigned for suffrage with the Women s Social and Political Union. 6 They participated in protests, and were arrested and sent to jail many times for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace during this time period. Christabel Pankhurst was the daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, another famous women s rights activist. Emmeline Pankhurst lived in England and she also played an important part in the fight for women s rights. During the time Alice Paul was in England, she saw the Pankhurst women as great leaders to help women get the right to vote. She worked with the Pankhurst s and together they helped obtain the right for women to vote in England. When she returned home, the news of what she did in England had spread and the National American Woman Suffrage Association asked Alice if she would join them. Alice also was in charge of a Congressional Committee and taught other women how to picket for suffrage by carrying signs and banners. 2 2 3 Hartmann, Susan M. "American National Biography Online: Paul, Alice." American National Biography Online: Paul, Alice. Oxford University Press, 2000. Web. 08 Feb. 2017. 4 Elizabeth Raum, American Lives: Alice Paul, 2004 Heinemann Library, page 10. 5 Hartmann. 6 Hartmann.
3 On March 3, 1913, the day before Woodrow Wilson was sworn as the president, Alice Paul held a huge parade in Washington, D.C. 7 Alice Paul had organized this parade with the hope that the new president would give women the right to vote in the United States as England had done. Half a million people saw the parade and women came from all over the country and from other countries to march for voting rights. But when Alice and other suffragettes met with President Wilson, he did not seem very interested. Paul had more parades and eventually created the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage. Alice Paul formed a political group called the National Woman s Party in 1916. 8 And in January 1917, she led suffragists to picket in front of the White House. The NWP was the first group group to ever picket outside of the White House. After several months, the police arrested the women on charges of blocking traffic. Alice Paul was arrested again in October 1917 and spent seven months in prison. The suffragists were treated very badly in prison. During their time served in prison, Alice Paul led a hunger strike to protest the injustice of being political prisoners. Paul refused to eat for three weeks, but eventually was force fed by the guards who hoped to end her hunger strike. The guards tied Alice down and shoved tubes down her nose and throat. They subjected her to a psychiatric evaluation and she was found to be sane. Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity is what the psychiatrist had stated to President Wilson and his cronies, whom had been trying to have Alice permanently institutionalized. 9 3 7 The Library of Congress, Youngest Parader in New York City Suffragist Parade, Library of Congress December 21, 2016. 8 Elizabeth Scholl, Alice Paul, Cobblestone 31.1, 2010. 9 Hartmann.
4 Alice Paul was eventually released from prison, evoking public sympathy, and the suffrage captives managed to publicize the bad conditions of their imprisonment. 10 In January 1918, Woodrow Wilson announced his support for the 19th Amendment, and on January 10, 1918 the Nineteenth Amendment passed in the House of Representatives and was sent to be ratified by the states. 11 For seven months, suffragists picketed until the state of Tennessee gave the last vote needed to make the Nineteenth Amendment a law. Alice Paul never stopped lobbying efforts until on August 26, 1920, women officially had the right to vote. Once women could vote, Alice Paul wrote an amendment to the Constitution called the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Equal Rights Amendment states that Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. 12 Alice Paul wanted women to have all the same opportunities as men. The Equal Rights Amendment was sent to Congress in 1923. The Equal Rights Amendment did not pass in 1923, but Alice Paul did not give up. During the 1920 s, Paul also spent time in Europe and in Latin America working for peace and women s rights. On February 17, 1930 Paul drafted the Equal Nationality Treaty which explained that when women get married they shall keep their citizenship and not have to rely on their spouse s citizenship, and 4 years later (1934) the treaty was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 13 In 1938, Alice Paul started the World Woman s Party. Its headquarters were in Switzerland. Alice Paul rewrote the Equal Rights Amendment in 1943. In 1945 Paul insisted that the United Nations include equal rights in its 4 10 Kathryn Cullen-Dupont, The Trials Of Alice Paul And Other National Woman s Party Members: 1917, History Reference Center (2003). 11 Scholl. 12 Who Was Alice Paul, Alice Paul Institute, December 13, 2016. 13 Raum.
5 charter. Thanks to her efforts, the United Nations support equal rights for men and women throughout the world. Alice Paul never stopped working for equal rights for women. She gave speeches, wrote letters, and worked with women s groups during the 1950 s and 1960 s to push the Equal Rights Amendment forward. Alice Paul also played a significant role in adding protection for women to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 14 The Act protected the rights of all Americans, regardless of race or color. The Equal Rights Amendment was never ratified. However, Alice Paul did many things to try and make it ratified. Alice Paul held hunger strikes, groups of protesters with banners outside of the White House, and participated in many congressional women's groups. During the 1960 s, Alice Paul played a vital role in sustaining feminism, which linked women s rights with black civil rights. 15 Although a lot of people opposed her, she was a pioneer in handing new feminists of the 1960 s a strategy to mobilize a movement of feminist goals. On October 12, 1971 the House of Representatives approved the Equal Rights Amendment and soon after, the Senate approved it. The ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment started on March 22, 1972. For the Equal Rights Amendment to become a law, at least 38 out of the 50 states had to ratify it before June 30, 1982. Between 1973-1977, 35 states agreed to its ratification. But by June 30, no other states had agreed to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, and the time expired. So its ratification was short by three states. 16 5 14 Raum. 15 Hartmann 16 In The States, Alice Paul Institute, January 25, 2017
6 Although the Equal Rights Amendment never became ratified 17, it still had a big impact. According to the Equal Rights Coalition, 96 percent of Americans think the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has passed. 18 So the fight for the amendment must have had a big impact if people think it was ratified. To this day, people are still fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment to become ratified. Women were strongly affected by the process of trying to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Not only were many women negatively impacted by being sent to jail, beaten, and nearly killed, there were positives as well. Women gained a lot during Alice Paul s life. They gained courage, the right to vote, and support from other women and men. All of the woman s parties that Alice Paul created are living proof that women can fight and will fight for their rights. Everything Alice Paul did in her lifetime made a big impact on women. 6 17 Flash Focus: Alice Paul, Equal Rights Under Law, Publishing Group LLC (2005). 18 In The States, Alice Paul Institute, January 25, 2017,
Because of her, women found the courage to speak up and fight for the right to vote, for equal rights, and many other things. Women who fought, and are still fighting, for the equality of men and women can change the point of views of men and women who do not believe in the same things. Alice Paul encouraged women to fight for their right to vote, and left women to win their right of equality. 7 Alice Paul s entire life was very important to the women s rights movement then and still important to this day. The Equal Rights Amendment may not have passed, but 96 percent of Americans believe it did. 19 This shows that a significant amount of people believe that the fight for equal rights was successful. The attempts of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment show how brutally women can be treated because of people who believe they are not meant to be equal to men. The hunger strikes, women being beaten during the marches and picketing, and all the other forms of protesting show how women who stand up for their rights are treated. Alice Paul was a huge influence to women. She showed women that if you do not take a step, you can never move forward. In her own words, Alice said, When you put your hand to the plow, you can t put it down until you get to the end of the row. Alice Paul showed that you should fight for what you believe in no matter what the consequences. Alice Paul was a dedicated woman to the cause of fighting for social justice. She never married, nor had any children, and spent her life fighting for women s rights. She was active until the age of 89, when in 1974 she suffered a stroke. She died in 1977 at the age of 92 from 7 19 In The States Alice Paul Institute, January 25, 2017/ Hartmann. 20 Lisa Kathleen Graddy, May 8 2012, Alice Paul: Champion of Woman Suffrage, National Museum of American History, 22 June 2015.
congestive heart failure. 20 Alice Paul left behind a legacy as a suffragette. During her life she took a stand to fight for women s rights by protesting, drafting and introducing the Equal Rights Amendment, and leading hunger strikes in jail. Alice Paul s actions brought light to the unequal treatment of men and women. Without the help of Alice Paul, women would not be treated even close to equally as compared to men. Alice Paul worked hardest on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She was a firm believer in social justice. Alice Paul was an amazing woman who pioneered the way for women to have the right to vote. Her courage and intelligence built the foundation for equal rights.
Works Cited Primary Sources "Alice Paul Describes Force Feeding." The Library of Congress. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016. This source gave me an article from the news written by Alice Paul explaining what it was like to be force fed in jail "Youngest Parader in New York City Suffragist Parade." Youngest Parader in New York City Suffragist Parade. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016 This source showed pictures that were helpful to my understanding of the parade and the protests Adams, Colleen. Women's Suffrage: A Primary Source History of the Women's Rights Movement in America. New York: Rosen Central Primary Source, 2003. Print. This source gave me information about other suffragettes and Alice Paul. Gave information about the 19th Amendment. "Miller NAWSA Suffrage Scrapbooks, 1897-1911." Miller NAWSA Suffrage Scrapbooks, 1897-1911. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. This source gave me information about Emmeline Pankhurst and how she overlapped with Alice Paul in the fight for the right to vote in England. "Equal Nationality for Women: The Fine-Tuning of the Cable Act National Woman's Party." National Womans Party. National Womans Party, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017. This source gave me information on Alice Paul s impact towards the Cable Act "1930 to 1997 - Women of Protest: Photographs from the Records of the National Woman's Party." The Library of Congress. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017.
This source gave me a timeline between 1930 and 1997. In this time, Alice Paul accomplished a few things which were on this timeline. "In the States." ERA: In the States. Alice Paul Institute, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2017. This source gave me information about how many states were needed to ratify the ERA and the states that didn t agree to it. Secondary Sources: "Flashfocus: Alice Paul." Flash Focus: Equal Rights Under Law. 174. US: Lakeside Publishing Group, LLC, 2005. History Reference Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. This source told me that the ERA was never ratified History.com Staff. "Alice Paul." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me said the year she was born and where, and what a Quaker is Lisa Kathleen Graddy, May 8, 2012. "Alice Paul: Champion of Woman Suffrage." National Museum of American History. National Museum of American History, 22 June 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me the exact date of Alice s death "Schlesinger Library." Alice Paul Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me what years Alice was alive, the years of trying to ratify the ERA, who lead the march and the date, and when the first protest was held. Scholl, Elizabeth. "Alice Paul." Cobblestone 31.1 (2010): 38-39. History Reference Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2016 This source told me when Alice launched the NWP, where she was born, and the exact date the 19th Amendment was ratified. "Today in Herstory: Suffragist Alice Paul Kept in Hospital During Hunger Strike." Feminist Majority Foundation Blog. Feminist Majority Foundation Blog, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me what all happened when the women were in jail.
"Today in History - January 11." The Library of Congress. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me who helped organize the NWP, when they campaigned for the right to vote, when they organized the parade, and what year she died. United States. National Park Service. "Alice Paul." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me when the NWP was organized, when Alice wrote the ERA, what year she graduated, and the year women were aloud to vote. "Who Was Alice Paul." Alicepaul.org. Alice Paul Institute, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website gave me direct quotes referring to the ERA and 19th Amendment. Zahniser, J.D. "'How Long Must We Wait?'." American History 50.5 (2015): 51-59. History Reference Center. Web. 14 Dec. 2016 This website gave me a few helpful photos. "Alice Paul - Freedom From Religion Foundation." Freedom From Religion Foundation. Freedom From Religion Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. This website told me her degree and what college she attended. Cullen-Dupont, Kathryn. "The Trials Of Alice Paul And Other National Woman's Party Members: 1917." Great American Trials (2003): 281-283. History Reference Center. Web. 17 Nov. 2016 This source told me when she was arrested, when women began picketing, what jail they were sent to, and when the 19th Amendment was ratified. Raum, Elizabeth. Alice Paul. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library, 2004. Print. This book was a huge help in giving me information about what Alice Paul accomplished throughout her life. Hartmann, Susan M. "American National Biography Online: Paul, Alice." American National Biography Online: Paul, Alice. Oxford University Press, 2000. Web. 08 Feb. 2017. This source gave me information about Alice Paul s family and childhood