There
were many courageous leaders during the 70 year battle for women to win the right
to vote in America; Alice Paul was one of the most important leaders in the last
leg of the journey. Her Quaker parents helped instill a strong belief that men
and women should be treated equally, and that one should work to make the world
a better place. She dedicated her life to this cause. Alice Paul was a brilliant
organizer and used many nonviolent tactics to get attention for the women's movement.
In 1913 she staged a huge parade with floats and banners on the eve of the inauguration
of President Woodrow Wilson. Over the next few years she helped stage pickets,
demonstrations, mass meetings, and hunger strikes. In 1917 they began picketing
in front of the White House. The police began arresting protesters and they were
jailed in deplorable conditions. Miss Paul herself was imprisoned three times.
Finally, in 1919, after nearly 70 years, Congress passed the Susan B. Anthony
Amendment. However, 36 states still needed to ratify the Amendment and many feared
it would take many more years. Under Alice Paul's leadership, lobbying campaigns
all across the nation resulted in ratifying the Amendment in time for women to
vote for the first time in 1920. Alice Paul knew this was only the beginning of
securing equal rights for women. In the early 1920s she authored the Equal Rights
Amendment and spent the rest of her life trying to get Congress to pass it. Miss
Paul lived to see it passed in 1970, but the Amendment ultimately died because
two-thirds of the states did not ratify it in the required time. Alice Paul wanted
to help women all around the world and founded the World Woman's Party in 1938,
and helped to ensure that gender equality was included in the language of the
Untied Nations Charter and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Her legacy continues
to inspire women all around the world to stand up for their rights.
