My Favorite Suffragette and Hero, Alice Paul

On this election day many people have gone to the grave of Susan B. Anthony. History attributes women's right to vote to her. Anthony died well before women won the right to vote, and while she paved the way and the suffragette's who followed after her looked up to her, it was not she who pressured Woodrow Wilson into signing the 19th amendment.

Alice Paul was born and raised a Quaker and as such she did not seek out credit for the work she had done. Her religious values are perhaps what allows history to forget her. And while she may not have cared if her name was remembered, I sure do.

One thing also that Alice Paul stood for that her predecessors did not was ALL women having the right to vote, no matter the color of their skin. Many of the suffragettes that came before her, as well as her contemporaries, were not concerned with the rights of anyone whose skin did not match the color of the snow. Alice Paul, quite frankly is my hero. When I worked at the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, of which Ms. Paul is a member, her portrait hung over my desk and every time I gazed up with her my heart would swell with pride.  Not all white suffragists cared only about their race and it is an extremely important message that people get and understand that it wasn't until the movement was headed by women who saw all women as people, no matter what the color of their skin was or what religion they followed, that women FINALLY won the right to vote. Feminists who do not subscribe to that notion can not win any battles because they are hypocrites and held everyone back.

When you read of suffragettes being imprisoned, beaten and going on hunger strikes, that was Alice Paul and her suffragettes. They endured force feedings and the opposition to their movement even tried to have Alice Paul committed to a mental institution. The doctor that examined her when asked if she was insane said the historic quote, which you probably never knew had anything to do with Ms. Paul was a product of their attempt:

“Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.”

It wasn't long after that quote went, what could be considered now as "viral", that the 19th amendment was signed.

Alice Paul also didn't stop fighting for women  and our rights once the 19th amendment was passed. She worked on the Equal Rights Amendment as well. The amendment reads “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." We all owe her so much and while she died back in the 1970s, I think the least we can do is honor her by voting in every election. If you would like to learn more about Alice Paul and the suffragist movement I highly recommend watching Iron Jawed Angels.  And checking out Alice Paul's section of the Connecticut Women's Hall Of Fame.