Leaders Are Rarely Chosen

Leaders are rarely chosen, but rather are made of people with admirable, desirable and consistent behavior who inexplicably rise to leadership. These select people have certain characteristics that help people to recognize them as leaders. Amongst these characteristics are confidence, morality, discipline and respect. Alice Paul was born on January 11. 1885. She was the first child to William and Tracie Paul. Despite the success of her father, Alice and her family lead a simple Quaker life. Alice had two younger brothers and one younger sister. Their parents found it necessary to bestow gender equality and education as well as working for the betterment of society onto their children. In high school Alice graduated at the top of her class and went on to attend Swarthmore college, at the age of 16, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1905. After graduating Alice continued to attend colleges and universities for many years and received several diplomas including Doctorates in Sociology and Civil Law. While attending college in England, Alice met Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the British suffrage movement; Pankhurst advocated “taking the woman’s movement to the streets.” Alice, inspired by Pankhursts’ words, then realized this is what she was meant to do. She then participated in more radical protests for woman suffrage, including hunger strikes and even three prison terms. During one of her jail visits Alice met Lucy Burns. Alice worked for several social service organizations before returning to the United States in January 1910. Lucy joined Alice in the U.S. in 1912. The fall of 1912, Alice and Lucy approached the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), to get directly involved with lobbying congressmen. They were allowed to take over the NAWSA Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C., but they had no office, no budget and few supporters. Alice was only 26 years old when she took over this committee. Drawing on her experiences in England, Alice organized the largest parade ever seen at the time on March 3, 1913. About 8,000 women dressed in white suffragist costumes and marched in units with banners and floats down Pennsylvania Avenue. The crowd was estimated at half a million people, who verbal harassed Alice and the other marchers. Although the parade was

difficult to get through, it generated more publicity than Alice could have hoped for. Determined, Alice organized another demonstration on April 7. Also that April, Alice established the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CUWS) and dedicated it to achieving the federal amendment The year was 1916 and the fight for Women’s Suffrage had already been battled for 70 years. It was time for women to finally be taken seriously, but in order to obtain this dream it would take perseverance and passion. Under Alice's leadership the new National Women’s Party mounted a more aggressive political campaign demanding passage of the women's suffrage amendment, which she named the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. By 1917, support had grown and women were already voting in 12 western states. But a national suffrage amendment was still no closer to passing and Alice was nowhere near satisfied. In January 1917, Alice and others of the NWP began picketing the White House – they were the first group in the U.S. to wage a non-violent civil disobedience campaign. They became known as the Silent Sentinels, standing silently by the gates, carrying purple, white and gold banners. Alice and other suffragists stood in front of the White House through sun, snow, and rain but worst of all – spectators who began assaulting the women verbally and physically. By June 1917, the police began arresting the picketers. First the charges were dropped. But as the suffragists kept picketing, the jail terms were instated. Finally, in attempts to try to break the women’s spirit, the police arrested Alice on October 20, 1917. But Alice’s years of pain and difficult effort were finally paying off. The House set January 10, 1917 as the date to vote on the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. By the 1918 election Congress had mostly pro-suffrage members. The House reaffirmed its vote from (274-136) to (304-89). On June 4, 1919, the Senate passed the amendment by one vote. On August 26, 1920, Tennessee, the last state (of 36 states needed) was ratified. Women voted for the first time in the 1920 presidential election -- including Florence Harding, the new First Lady. The fight took 72

years -- spanning two centuries, 18 presidencies, and three wars. Alice still believed she had unfinished business, to "remove all remaining forms of the subjection of women" so in 1922, Alice again went back to college, The following year, she introduced the first Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." In 1927 and 1928 Alice received a Master’s and Doctorate’s degrees in law from American University. In the late 1920s, Alice broadened NWP's activities internationally; then founded the World Woman's Party (WWP) in 1938. From the mid-1950s on, Alice re-focused on women's issues in the U.S., At 79 years of age, Alice ran the NWP's lobbying campaign. Alice never married, committing herself to a life of causes. She still protested in rallies for women's rights and against the Vietnam War -- while in her 80s. In 1974, she suffered a stroke that left her disabled. On July 9, 1977, Alice died of heart failure. She was 92 years old. Alice Paul was a woman with strong beliefs, perseverance, and intelligence. All of which made her a critical leaderin the woman’s suffrage movement. Her achievements are still being demonstrated through the work of the NWP, which continues to fight for women's rights issues.