Alice Paul Contribution

First and foremost, the fight for women’s rights is something that has occurred throughout time not only in the United States, but in every part of the world. When it comes to the United States, one cannot deny that it was an important historical event. “The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States had occupied better part of a century” (Source 1). Truly a struggle, for it was not acknowledged by men in the past, primarily white man who had full rights in the nation. Susan B. Anthony was an important leading figure of the Suffrage Movement and contributed to the Suffrage Movement.

Paul dedicated her life to equal rights for all women. She has impacted many people in this world from the struggles and hardships she went through to try to make things right for women. Paul was a very intelligent women, she graduated at the top of her class.

She was a well respected woman that many thought was going to lead woman in the fight for equal rights.

The battle for suffrage was a long and slow process. Many women tried to initiate the fight for suffrage, like Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. “These were the New Suffragists: women who were better educated, more career-oriented, younger, less apt to be married and more cosmopolitan than their previous generation.” (pg 17) Eventually, in 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified; allowing women to vote, but it was not any one person or event that achieved this great feat. It was the confluence of certain necessary factors, the picketing and parades led by Alice Paul, militaristic suffrage parties and the influence of the media that caused the suffrage amendment to be passed and ratified in 1920. But most importantly, they successfully moved both

She did countless things to pass an amendment which would grant the women their wish of being able to have their rights. Including a hunger strike, a silent protest, and she even endured force feeding. In Alice Paul it says, “For five months the White House siege continued; while Congress refused to act without word from the president.” (William and Mary Lavender 4). This shows the frustration that she had to go through, and how much the government seemed stubborn. She never gave up despite knowing the fact that president Wilson wouldn’t budge. In the end she was able to convince president Wilson. She never even married. If that doesn’t show her devotion I don’t know what

The women’s rights movement has been influenced by the words and writings of many. Two influential people in the movement include Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Abigail Adams. These women paved the way for equality across the United States of America. Without these women speaking out and advocating in their different ways, equality in the country would be much farther

The journey of women’s suffrage beings with an aspired women named Alice Paul, who revolutionize the rights for women everywhere. Walton refers, how the inspiration all had flipped-the switch in Alice Paul when she heard speech on the “Votes for Women,” from a women named, Christabel Pankhurst, which was interrupted abruptly due to Christabel spitting in a police offers face, and being taken to jail. Walton refers to the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) as being seldom out of the news during the winter of 1907,

Making this movement public was essential in ratification of the Constitution. Paul organized women on all levels. She knew that selling the movement to the American people would further the cause. Her first attempt was to campaign against all Democratic candidates. That did not do much to the political party. She had to reformulate a plan. She organized a group of women to picket the White House daily, except for Sundays, with banners of the President’s own speeches written on them. Papers often carried the stories of the suffragettes’ struggles. When World War I was declared, that changed.

Paul then began publishing a weekly newspaper, The Suffragist, in November of 1913. In the issues to follow they spoke of injustice and the laws affecting the interest of women.      In April 1916, the National Women's Party was established as a political party. This party did not endorse any candidate but only woman suffrage. The Democrats and Republicans were beginning to realize the women's votes could definitely influence the election.

This movement is important because although it took years the goal was achieved. It was a long battle and women were brave enough to put their lives on the line. Alice Paul was a determined young woman

These influential women are most widely known suffragist of their generation and has become icons of the women suffrage movement. These independent, bold, and intelligent female pioneers paved the way for so many women different races, and nationalities to come together as one for a common cause. These women are known today as idols, icons, and activists. Those women that took a stand when no one else would be: Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone. These women believed that all American women, just like men, deserve the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a suffragist and a leader of the Women's Rights Movement. She organized the Seneca Falls Convention, which was considered as the first women's rights movement in the United States. She wrote The Declaration of Sentiments, which is often called one of the first steps towards women's rights.

(Hannam 296) During the Anti-Slavery Movement, she had valuable experience in public speaking and running poilitical organizations through her work in the abolishionist movement. (298 ) in the process women were generally discouraged from taking active part in public life and expected to join women only groups in support of male organizations (ibid) While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known for her long contribution to the woman suffrage struggle, without her struggles these issues wouldnt have been effective in winning property rights for married women, equal guardianship of children, and liberalized divorce laws. These reforms made it possible for women to leave marriages that were abusive of the wife, the children, and the economic health of the family.

Alice Paul returned to the United States of America in 1910 where she enrolled in yet another school. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she earned a Ph.D. in sociology. This is one piece of evidence supporting the great leadership that Alice Paul portrayed. She found a cause to identify to and then obtained the needed knowledge and education needed to achieve her goals. After graduating from the University, Paul launched herself into her vocation, becoming a “full-time” suffragist. Paul then joined National American Woman Suffrage Association which was founded by Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony among others. Paul soon realized that the leadership styles employed by these two suffragist leaders did not agree with her personality and so she broke from the group, forming her own. Another piece of evidence, Paul understood herself and so knew what methods would agree with her leadership type and personality, essentially magnifying her impact. Paul then founded the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage with Lucy Burns. “In 1916, NAWSA found itself on the conservative side of the movement.” (ocp.hul.harvard.edu) Paul a radical at

Women’s Rights was and still is a major issue throughout the entire world, but more specifically, in the United States of America. Women have been treated unjustly for awhile. From being beaten by their husbands, to not being able to own property if they were married, women have been through it all. Many of these situations started to change because of a group of women that decided to stand up for what they believe in. A few activists that helped improve the rights of women are Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott.