We take our voting way to lightly these days. I will have to admit that I didn’t start using my very FREE and EASY right until I was 21 years old. I did not know nor care about the importance of making my opinion count. It was so easily given to me that I did not realize the hardship and dedication it took to be able to vote. The lucky, white rich man was always able to vote, then for political reasons he only needed to be white and a man. Of course, they finally realized that this was unreasonable and the black man was finally able to vote too. So, where did the women fall into this?
Women were not able to vote until 1920!! It finally made its way to become the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. That’s not that long ago if you look at History as a whole. What part that really pulls at my heart is to hear about the women who stood for their rights as well as mine and all the other women reading this. Alice Paul was a huge advocate for the rights of women. Throughout the winter of 1917, she and other advocates picketed the White House, voicing their opinion. The President at the time was Woodrow Wilson and the women did not hold back when they asked, “How long must women wait for Liberty?” These women were attacked both verbally and physically; however, they did not give up the fight.
The picketing got even more personal when WWI broke out. Wilson was now being insulted being called a hypocrite and such, so he needed to see these women stopped. The police were not supportive at all toward the women and even started to arrest them. The women still held on strong and would not give up. Finally Alice Paul, the leader, was arrested and sentenced to a 7 month term. She was put in solitary confinement. For 2 weeks she had nothing to eat but bread and water alone!! Remember ladies, she did this all for OUR right to vote! After that, she was taken to a prison hospital, where she began a hunger strike- many others joined in with her. In response to her strike- she was sent to a psychiatric ward where she was forced to eat three times a day. Paul never gave up on what she believed in! She was released from prison after 5 weeks and the whole imprisonment backfired on the leaders who was trying to exhaust the movement. Many were made aware of the prison force feeding Paul and started to show a mass response to supporting woman’s right to vote!
Please remember, by the time Paul came into the picture, the right for women’s suffrage had been going on for the past 70 years! Not only Alice Paul ,an advocate of woman’s right to vote, but others like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Staunton gave their all in trying to lead the way for woman’s rights.
I am a young adult and did not know who Alice Paul was until this year. She and the others need to be remembered for the battle they fought to gain such a wonderful privilege that we possess today. Now, more than ever, we need to embrace our power to vote and make a difference.
