The Jersey Girl Who Played a Real Hunger Game and Won The 19th Amendment
August 26th is now celebrated as Women's Equality Day in the
United States. Few today realize that it took 75 years for women to gain the right to vote on August 26, 1920. Passing the 19th Amendment had become a battle of brave endurance against physical torture executed by its own keepers of American Justice. The physical infliction these women endured made President Wilson reverse his position and announced his support for a suffrage amendment, calling it a "war measure."
The key suffragette leader in the fight for the 19th Amendment was a fashionable, and wealthy young women from Mt Laurel, New Jersey named Alice Paul. In 1916 Paul became one of the founders of the National Woman's Party (NWP). They also called themselves the "Silent Sentinels". They stood in silence outside the White House holding banners inscribed with confrontational phrases directed toward President Wilson. The president took these silent protests in good humor, tipping his hat to them as he passed by. However, his tolerance soon ended when the United States entered World War I in 1917. This did not stop the suffragists “Silent Sentinels” who dared to picket a wartime president, use the war in their written remarks and phrases such as calling the President "Kaiser Wilson." Many saw the suffragists' wartime protests as unpatriotic, and the sentinels, including Alice Paul, were attacked by angry mobs. The picketers were arrested on a trumped up charge of "obstructing traffic’. They were jailed and refused to pay their imposed fine.
Alice Paul was taken to Occoquan Workhouse, a prison in Virginia. Paul demanded that she and her group of suffragists be treated as political prisoners. They staged hunger strikes. Their demands were met with brutality. They were beaten, thrown into cold, unsanitary, and rat-infested cells. Arrests continued and conditions at the prison worsened. Paul and several other suffragists were tortuously forced fed for staging these hunger strikes. When these tactics failed to break their leader the prison officials removed Paul to a sanitarium. They hoped they could win the battle by declaring her insane. But the tide of public opinion was now moving in Paul’s favor when news of the prison conditions and hunger strikes were made public. The press, some politicians, and the public began demanding the women's release. Overwhelming sympathy for the prisoners brought many to support the
cause of women's suffrage and they all were released from prison.
In 1919, both the House and Senate passed the 19th Amendment. However it was a battle for state ratification. Three-fourths of the states were needed to ratify the amendment. In the summer of 1920 the battle for ratification came down to the state of Tennessee. It needed a majority of the state legislature votes for the amendment to become law. The deciding vote was cast by 24 year-old Harry Burn. He was the youngest member of the Tennessee assembly. Burn was all set to vote "no," but he received a telegram from his mother asking him to support women's suffrage and so he cast the ultimate “Yes” that gave Women the right to vote.
We are fortunate that Alice Paul’s family home and farm “Paulsdale”
in Mt Laurel, NJ has been preserved and open to the public through the Alice Paul Institute. The Alice Paul Institute’s position is to develop future generations of leaders and human rights activists, demonstrating the extraordinary difference one person can make. Please visit their website for further info http://www.alicepaul.org/index.htm
Are you registered to vote? Be proud of Jersey Girls and watch Iron Jawed
Angels, the 2004 movie starring Hillary Swank.
Sally Goodson
8:55 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
Ms. Guttenberger wrote so thoroughly about Alice Paul's change-making history. Thank you. Just a thought: Everyone should check with their local County Board of Elections to see if they are still registered to vote. If you have not voted recently you may find that your name has been removed from the voting roll books.
The Watcher
11:52 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
Michelle, in an age of electronics (and for the most part) short attention spans, your well written article on some of the cruelties women suffered to obtain a woman's right to vote are often forgotten. There are too many children today who don't know how many states there are, never mind be able to name them. Ask them about American History and if you're lucky they can repeat the author's view of history. In my opinion voting is a right and a privilege that should be taken very seriously. Voting places are probably the only public places that are still "user friendly". They open early, close late, are handicapped accessible, and there are poll workers available to assist you. Is the system perfect? Not by a long shot, but consider the alternative. Please (even if it's the only thing you exercise all year), EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE !
Rich Smith
4:12 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Michele, Thank you for a really great article. As the Watcher said we do need to be reminded about those dark ages every now and then. Being active in Inflammatory Breast Cancer support I meet so many Women from all walks of life and I just cannot imagine Women not voting, or owning a business or real property as it was back then. By the way, that’s not a typo, I always capitalize the word Woman as a sign of respect.
Michele Guttenberger
12:29 am on Saturday, August 25, 2012
Rich - Thank you. I have know many great men who are supporters of women's rights. I was helping out the League of Women Voter's at the Sussex County Fair getting people to register to vote. My biggest fan was a young man who was about 6 years shy of being eligible to vote. Anyway, he listened intently to my speech on why it was so important to vote. I highly recommend watching the HBO Movie of Iron Jawed Angels which is available on DVD through our own Sussex County Library System
http://search.sussexcountylibrary.org/?q=Iron+Jawed+Angels
Here is the final scene from this movie that depicts the final days to the ratification of the 19th Amendment http://youtu.be/fVOxC80UbwY
Lurky Loo
3:33 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Hey Michele? Could you write an article about how the Patch has squashed our first amendment right of free speech by taking away the comments sections on just certain articles? My emails must not be getting thru cause nobody has emailed me back! I'm calling shenanigans!
Observer
4:24 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
In my opinion, the best way to reverse the current comment prohibition is both simple and should be effective. I would visit each local merchant that you patronize and also advertises on Hopatcong Patch, detail the comment prohibition issue and explain that until that issue is resolved, you’ll be taking your business elsewhere. Shouldn’t take long!
Michele Guttenberger
5:06 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I think Patch was caught between a rock and hard place. They did not have the focused dedication of one person to monitor comments like Brendan. There were people who were getting very abusive with their comments and making character attacks with a political motive rather than genuine debate and discussion. The School issues are real hot buttons for discussion. But it also brings out these comment saboteurs too. I am hoping this is a temporary standoff until they find a work around with their security gaps. Like Roll Back Our Taxes, I had my id mimicked and had someone write the vilest things about me as me. Fortunately, Brendan was there to address the problem immediately. But I don't think we have this support staff dedicated solely for Hopatcong. I feel thinks were really getting nasty. I was a recipient of these comments because I am often in opposition with the Town's current regime. But Roll Back Our Tax was having someone take his identity and it did not seem that the problem was resolved quickly. So, I am hoping that they will find a way for there to be open communications without abuse. Having limited comments hurts Patch too, because it lowers traffic numbers to the site. It is these traffic numbers that lure sponsors to place adds with Patch. So if you are not visiting the non-comment pages you are already not patronizing their virtual advertisers and stores.
The Watcher
6:46 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
In my opinion there are people who are being defamed with abusive comments who I do not believe ever posted on Patch. I don't think Brendan would have allowed it. You are right Michelle they are abusive comments. People are responsible for their own comments but by the same token Patch is allowing bad behavior by not removing the comments. I have talked to people who are disgusted with some of the postings and have even flagged them, but to no avail. So once again the many suffer for the actions of a few. Maybe Patch will find a way to resolve these issues......let's hope so.
Observer
7:32 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
There can be a fine line between a response that “nails it” in terms of refuting a position and a personal attack, as interpreted by the recipient. Oh well, you have to be mature about these things. If you dish it out, you have to be willing to take the rebuttal. Certainly, libelous attacks are out of bounds but everyone needs to keep a sense of humor too; after all it’s ONLY Hopatcong Patch! There is a place for censorship; I think foul language is an example. People need to lighten up!
Michele Guttenberger
8:44 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Observer - I agree you have to lighten up and have a little humor too. I usually let a moronic comment about me go without reply. Some of them were so stupid that I got a chuckle. You can't have a thin skin and cry foul to every biting remark someone dishes out on Patch. I usually let it rest and get them later with a real I gotcha moment. But with my jokes I try not to give a specific name to them. Keep it generic. Where would we be without humor especially when things are gloomy. Sometimes we take Political Correctness a bit too far too.
Tammy
9:21 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
You are able to comment about the Board of Ed article now.
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