Introduction
Alice Paul was a U.S. suffragist and feminist who advocated for women’s rights. During the 1900s, women were often viewed as children, and their complaints were frequently disregarded. Women were instructed to remain silent in public, to adhere to their traditional roles, to receive lower compensation than men, and to refrain from making a show of themselves (Bottrell).
Women were expected to dress appropriately, always wearing hats, and were afforded limited social engagement opportunities. Although there was grueling labor, women were still perceived as weak and were supposed to be obedient. This essay will analyze the significance of the activities during Alice Paul’s lifetime and what made her a necessary figure.
Alice Paul’s Biography
Early Life and Family Influence
Paul was raised in a household that strongly believed in equal rights. Her mother was a member of the National U.S. Women’s Rights Organization. Paul was first exposed to the suffrage revolution when her mom frequently brought her to gatherings for women’s liberation (Ryan 137). Additionally, they would regularly have conferences at their home.
She has fought for gender equality her entire life. Although she died before the Equal Opportunities Act was formally recognized as such, Alice was a fierce and unmistakable advocate for women’s rights. She contributed to the development of the 19th reforms and the Equal Opportunities Amendment.
Paul faced several challenges, and she also explored four separate feminist groups to reach new individuals and provide women with what they wanted. Paul also had numerous conversations with the audience to encourage them that women and men are on an equitable basis (Gallagher). Paul was different from other female activists; she was outgoing and outspoken. She was in charge and always in front of things.
Alice had solid concepts and was excellent at drawing attention from the broader people. Reiter claims that Paul graduated from high school in 1902 at the top of her senior class. She quickly obtained a degree in physiology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1907, after graduating from Swarthmore College in 1905 and completing an internship in human services.
Involvement in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
Early that year, Paul moved to Coventry, England, to pursue public work studies at several British colleges. When Paul initially arrived in London, she encountered the Pankhurst ladies, some of the most prominent militant suffragettes who supported overt activities such as window smashing, taunting, and rock-throwing to raise public awareness of the suffrage movement (Cusick). After exchanging thoughts with the women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul started acting out their emotional protests. She finally embraced their campaign and acknowledged having broken more than 48 panels, having been arrested many times, and served time in jail (I Lunardini).
The 1913 Suffrage Parade and Public Reaction
Paul organized a sizable female procession on March 3, 1913, to raise public awareness and that of Woodrow Wilson. The procession Paul arranged was his initial substantial endeavor to draw publicity for the institution from the public. This would transform the character of the suffragette campaign from region-to-region conflicts to a political movement (Bush 321).
She primarily planned the procession to fall on the final day of President Wilson’s previous tenure. About 8,000 women walked up Pennsylvania Street from Congress to the legislative house carrying placards and floats. Moreover, half of the town’s residents backed Wilson’s ascension. President Wilson arrived via metro to minimize the number of people waiting to see him; thus, he missed the parade.
Some onlookers began verbally abusing the suffragists as they mocked and made a mockery of them (Wayne 103). When the verbal and physical assaults stopped, the scenario swiftly turned into physical aggression against the protesters. The cops did nothing except observe and did not assist the suffragettes.
Paul struggled with pulling out such a dangerous deed, placing the lives of everyone who walked beside her that day in grave peril (Bennewitz 125). Paul’s plan was successful when peace was ultimately reestablished. The incident was widely documented in the press, and the voting process captured the public’s interest. Many law enforcement officers did not halt the violence, many individuals were upset, and the Washington, D.C., commissioner of security lost his position, which led to extensive media coverage of the march.
Legacy and Continued Advocacy for Women’s Rights
Alice Paul maintained an admired life as she painstakingly and methodically campaigned for justice. She faced several difficult obstacles, including repeated detention and release, participation in hunger protests, and violent bashings. She also looked at other individuals, including Lucy Murray, the Pankhurst ladies, and many other females (Kitterman and Rebekah 126).
She formed several groups, and Paul investigated a range of them. Paul presented some stunning views and ideas. Rarely does someone devote their entire existence to a single topic in which they believe, as Alice Paul did.
Many people are grateful to Alice Paul and everybody involved in the women’s suffrage campaign for paving the way for women to have the same level of autonomy and authority as men. However, there are still many jobs that women can do. Sexism exists today as it did then, all around the world. There would only be a new global order once women were included. Paul will consistently be recognized in the annals of fairness. Paul made significant contributions to the empowerment of American women.
Significance and Importance of Alice Paul’s Contributions
Leadership in the Fight for the 19th Amendment
Paul exerted massive pressure on Parliament to adopt the 19th article. She declined to be silent in the presence of opportunistic men and victimized women, instead speaking up for herself and the women who participated in nonviolent demonstrations and rallies (Chin, Eliza Lo, et al.). She garnered the nation’s attention through various strategies, including demonstrations and strikes outside the legislative house, and she fought for fairness until her passing.
Being a key figure in the Eighteenth Amendment movement is one of her most famous accomplishments. Women’s voting rights were secured because of Alice’s perseverance. Alice was a strong and prominent woman who dedicated herself entirely to her career and spoke out for what was right.
Imprisonment, Hunger Strikes, and Acts of Protest
The inmates experienced severe living standards, light to no hygiene, and disgustingly stale meals. In jail, Paul started a hunger strike with the inmates to help counter the brutality of the prison officials. Paul was sent to a mental care unit after declining to take any of the meals provided by the jail (Rosenstock).
Paul received terrible care and was compelled to ingest raw eggs via a tube through her neck. Paul stated that it was astonishing that an administration of males could see a campaign requesting nothing more than a simple privilege to participate with such severe disrespect. Owing to NWP’s protests against the severe mistreatment of women, Alice and the other women were freed on December 26 and 29 after over a month of suffering in these appalling circumstances. Alice was in horrible condition and underweight when she was freed.
Continued Efforts Toward Gender Equality and Civil Rights
The Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the freedom to participate, was ultimately ratified on August 18, 1920, due to the tireless efforts of Paul and the NWP (DuBois). Paul persevered in her campaign for women’s equality after that. She contributed significantly to the 1970 civil rights statute, which gave women greater daily security.
The idea of women’s revolution, or their ability to vote, was fought for by many devoted people. Paul was a female rights advocate who utilized her tenacity, intellect, bravery, and persistence to have a lasting influence on humanity (Harhai and Krueger 14). She is among the few ladies with the guts to defend her beliefs. In addition to the US, Alice Paul has had a significant impact on women’s roles in the community worldwide.
Advocacy for Racial Inclusion in the Suffrage Movement
Paul’s progressive strategies also permeated the procession’s planning, as she suggested including African American suffragettes in the day’s events. Her background gave rise to her steadfast belief in achieving justice for African Americans. The emancipation struggle was a cause to which Quakers were steadfastly devoted before the American Civil War (Delahaye). Although Paul was a well-known defender of African Americans’ liberties, conservative NAWSA members were not very excited about his proposals. Many of NAWSA’s most staunchly orthodox members were reluctant to march beside African Americans out of concern for their safety.
The march served as a metaphor for the conflict between cultures and the advantages white individuals had over black people. Anti-suffragists consistently expressed their displeasure with white suffragettes, but their antagonism to African American suffragettes was much louder (Mead 41). African Americans were separated from white suffragettes due to the fear of brutality and the prospect of abandoning white northerners, which seemed too much for the members of NAWSA.
Paul realized that fundamentalists would be steadfast in their unwillingness to march with black women, but she also thought integrating African Americans might increase the campaign’s popularity (Lamb). Paul did not desire to create a rift among her allies over the technicalities. Still, in the end, her assertive stance and willingness to listen to the concerns of African Americans allowed her to override the objections of NAWSA’s radicals.
Paul was able to ease conflicts between African American and white suffragists despite early concerns. Still, other concerns continued, such as where to conduct the parade, how to generate money to pay for the demonstration, and how to protect participants. Paul mainly depended on the monetary backers of NAWSA to pay for the protest (Bystrom 326).
Although Paul’s emphasis on NAWSA’s contributors to yield money for the march was fruitful, Elizabeth, the organization’s president, was unhappy because she felt Paul’s journey detracted from NAWSA’s prospective financial resources. Paul felt the money raised for the protest would help the overall cause for women’s equality (Wayne). The disagreement over financial resources was simply the initial of several clues that led to a rift in Stanton and Paul’s strategy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Paul collaborated with women from the nation to unify behind the goal of total fairness. She proceeded to work for the NWP and petitioned Parliament. The opinions of American women on fairness were too contradictory.
Some people opted to stay in the local home domain and were content with possessing the power (Cassidy). Others aimed to eliminate socially prescribed sexual roles and establish the best possible gender parity. Finding a balance between the opposing philosophies appeared too challenging, and Paul was eventually unsuccessful in ratifying the Equal Opportunities Act. Nevertheless, she continued to advocate for female freedom until her passing in 1977.
Works Cited
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