Introduction
The suffragette movement made an enormous and vital contribution to the evolution of women’s rights. The dedication of activists like Alice Paul, who used the most extreme methods of struggle, prompted society to begin discussing the issue of gender equality. Alice Paul’s biography demonstrates that the most successful suffragettes genuinely supported equal rights for women and men, since that was how they had been raised and lived.
Early Years and The Beginning of Alice Paul’s Activities
Alice Paul had a grim fate, as it will be revealed further, her early years and upbringing played a crucial role in shaping her personality. Graham stated, “NWP leader Alice Paul was born in Moorestown, New Jersey, in 1885, the daughter of Quaker parents” (666). Due to the Quaker movement’s commitment to a simple lifestyle without luxuries, young children were taught to complete simple tasks around the house early on. According to this religion, each person is responsible for trying their best to be helpful and work for society’s benefit. Her religious education significantly influenced Alice’s ideas on equality.
The suffragette movement grew in popularity in the United Kingdom before it did in the US. Alice moved to London in 1907 to join the London School of Economics, where she joined the suffragettes and was arrested among other activists (Zahniser and Fry 274). When political prisoner Alice Paul was eventually freed, she started planning to go back to the US and fight there. Women did not have passive or active voting rights in the United States. Alice Paul’s actions were well-known in her home country, and she had support.
The Accomplishments of Alice Paul as a Suffragette
Suffragettes needed recognition in society; therefore, in 1913, Alice Paul decided on a strategy to attract broader support. In support of women’s suffrage, Alice decided to plan the country’s first parade. The march happened on March 3, 1913, when Woodrow Wilson became the new president. Paul estimated that 5,000 and 10,000 people participated in the procession, and 500,000 gathered to watch them (Zahniser and Fry 277). The suffragette movement, led by Alice Paul, employed various strategies to influence society and the government.
Along with taking immediate action, the suffragists also tried to maintain constant public attention. Suffragettes united in a “Silent Sentinels” demonstration under the White House for a year. Southard stated, “Some women held banners with stripes of the NWP’s colors, and others held banners with messages to President Wilson, including: ‘Mr. President, you say liberty is the fundamental demand of the Human Spirit” (400). It was a unique act that forced society to discuss suffragettes.
The struggle eventually led to President Woodrow Wilson addressing the Senate in September 1918 with a request to enact an amendment granting women the right to vote swiftly. The Senators approved the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on June 4, 1919, and it was ratified in August of that same year (Thomas 371). Alice Paul and the suffragettes triumphed. Ultimately, Alice Paul also succeeded in her fight to codify gender equality into law.
Conclusion
To sum up, Alice Paul proved herself a successful suffragist who contributed to the legalization of gender equality and the achievement of women’s right to vote. Only through persistent struggle and her belief that human equality was desirable and necessary was such a triumph ever achieved. Alice Paul was significantly shaped by her upbringing in a religious family, so she joined the suffragette movement as soon as she became acquainted. Her struggle significantly influenced women in the USA and worldwide, and these accomplishments are still recognized today.
Works Cited
Graham, Sally Hunter. “Woodrow Wilson, Alice Paul, and the Woman Suffrage Movement.” Political Science Quarterly, vol. 98, no. 4, 1983, pp. 665-679.
Southard, Belinda A. Stillion. “Militancy, Power, and Identity: The Silent Sentinels as Women Fighting for Political Voice.” Rhetoric & Public Affairs, vol. 10, no. 3, 2007, pp. 399-417.
Thomas, Tracy A. “More Than the Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment as Proxy for Gender Equality.” Stan. JCR & CL, vol. 15, 2019, pp. 349-377.
Zahniser, J. D., and Amelia Roberts Fry. Alice Paul: Claiming Power. Oxford University Press, 2019.