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Alice Paul's Suffrage

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Ninety six years ago women throughout the United States were not allowed to vote in public elections. Fortunately, on August 18th 1920, after being passed by Congress, the 19th amendment was ratified by the states, giving women the right to cast a ballot. The road to women’s suffrage was long and winding with a few U-Turns and full stops on the way to equality. Nevertheless, the suffragettes persevered and accomplished what is arguably one of the greatest achievements of the women’s rights movement. The ratification of the 19th amendment had thousands of women behind its success, but the vast majority of it is due to Alice Paul, whose traditional Quaker upbringing, time spent in England among radical suffragettes, and determination, even at …show more content…

She remained in the Quaker community throughout college, graduating from the prestigious Swarthmore College in 1905. This extensive amount of time that Paul spent somewhat sheltered among people who believed in gender equality and improving society had to influence and strengthen her beliefs as well as her drive to obtain women’s suffrage. Carol, Meyers, and Lindman write for the Alice Paul Institute article “Who Was Alice Paul” that “Alice’s faith not only established the foundation for her belief in equality but also provided a rich legacy of activism and service to country.” It seems as if Alice Paul was almost predestined to lead the women’s suffrage movement. Alice’s own mother, Tacie Paul, was a member of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. She brought Alice with her to meetings and even held suffrage events in their home, Paulsdale (Reiter). Arguably, if Alice Paul had not been born to a Quaker family during this time period, she might not have been exposed to the women’s suffrage movement, therefore, limiting her own ideas and beliefs in women’s rights as well as her involvement in the movement. Alice Paul’s background was as vital to her success and assistance in passing the 19th amendment as her time spent in England …show more content…

The Pankhurst women were controversial, militant suffragettes who protested not being allowed to vote by breaking windows, heckling politicians, and holding marches. These women believed in utilizing their frustration at their government by participating in public displays of aggression. They had discovered that aggression had a much larger influence on people than other forms of protest (e.g. petitions), and so the WSPU used it to grow their membership and impact. Evidently, the Pankhurst women’s aggression certainly got Alice Paul’s attention. She became a member of the WSPU not long after arriving in England (Cahill 10). Her involvement in this organization had a significant effect on her attitude towards improving society. Carol, Meyers, and Lindman explain it best, writing that “Though Alice’s upbringing was steeped in suffrage ideals, it was during her stay in England that she was transformed from a reserved Quaker girl into a militant suffragist (“Who Was Alice Paul). While a suffragette in England, Paul personally admitted to breaking numerous windows and being imprisoned on several occasions. This exhausting but presumably exhilarating time in Paul’s life served as rigorous training for the day when she would lead the women’s suffrage movement in the United States. Not many other American suffragettes

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