THE TURNING POINT SUFFRAGIST MEMORIAL THE NIGHT OF

THE TURNING POINT SUFFRAGIST MEMORIAL

THE NIGHT OF TERROR Ø ON NOVEMBER 15, 1917 SUPERINTENDENT W. H. WHITTAKER SENT 40 GUARDS WITH CLUBS TO TERRORIZE THE 33 SUFFRAGISTS IMPRISONED AT OCCOQUAN AT THAT TIME Ø THE WOMEN WERE AT THE WORKHOUSE FOR THE “CRIME” OF BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK Ø MARINES FROM QUANTICO SURROUNDED THE WORKHOUSE TO KEEP THE WOMEN’S SUPPORTERS AWAY Ø MANY WERE TAKEN ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE MEN’S WORKHOUSE AND PUT IN CELLS IN THE SECTION THAT HELD ALCOHOLICS Ø WOMEN WERE BEATEN, KICKED, THROWN AROUND Ø THEY LEFT LUCY BURNS, WRAPPED ONLY IN A BLANKET BECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO WEAR HER PRISON CLOTHES, CHAINED TO HER CELL OVER NIGHT Ø THE OLDEST SUFFRAGIST, MARY NOLAN, 73, WAS THROWN DOWN THE STAIRS Ø DORA LEWIS’ HEAD WAS BASHED AGAINST HER CELL’S WALL AND THEY LEFT HER OUT COLD, HER CELLMATE ALICE COSU SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID MRS. LEWIS WAS DEAD

MARY NOLAN

THE REACTION Ø WORD OF THE WOMEN’S MISTREATMENT SOON LEAKED OUT Ø THESE WERE RESPECTABLE, OFTEN WEALTHY WOMEN WITH INFLUENTIAL FAMILIES WHO COULD HIRE THE BEST ATTORNEYS Ø THESE ATTORNEYS PRESSURED PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON TO RELEASE THE WOMEN Ø WILSON AT FIRST DENIED HE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON Ø EVENTUALLY THE WOMEN’S ATTORNEYS CONVINCED THE FEDERAL COURT IN ALEXANDRIA TO ISSUE A WRIT OF HABEUS CORPUS Ø RELEASED FROM PRISON, MANY OF THE WOMEN, WEAK FROM HUNGER STRIKES & FORCE FEEDINGS, HAD TO BE HELPED INTO CARS BY FRIENDS, THEIR APPEARANCE SHOCKED WITNESSES WHEN THEY APPEARED IN FEDERAL COURT Ø THIS INCIDENT WAS A MAJOR TURNING POINT IN THE FIGHT FOR WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE THAT BEGAN IN 1848 Ø IN 1920 THE 19 TH AMENDMENT WAS RATIFIED, GRANTING AMERICAN WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE

REMEMBER THE LADIES • THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE WAS A LONG, DIFFICULT JOURNEY • AT THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTION, ABIGAIL ADAMS FAMOUSLY WROTE TO HER HUSBAND JOHN TO “REMEMBER THE LADIES…. , ALL MEN WOULD BE TYRANTS” • UNFORTUNATELY, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS DID NOT LISTEN, INSTEAD….

ABIGAIL ADAMS

WIDOWS LOSE THE SUFFRAGE ØDURING THE FOUNDING ERA, WIDOWS WHO OWNED PROPERTY LOST THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN NY, NH, MASS & FINALLY NJ IN 1807 ØVIRGINIA’S OWN HANNAH LEE CORBIN, HERSELF A WIDOW, PROTESTED TO HER BROTHER RICHARD HENRY LEE, THAT AS A WIDOW SHE FACED “TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” SINCE SHE COULD NOT VOTE ØRICHARD HENRY LEE FAILED TO SUPPORT HIS SISTER’S POSITION, BUT AT LEAST HE DID NOT CALL HER “SAUCY” LIKE JOHN DID ABIGAIL

HANNAH LEE CORBIN

WOMEN’S TRADITIONAL POSITION DURING THE 18 TH CENTURY AMERICAN WOMEN WERE COVERED BY THE BRITISH COMMON LAW DOCTRINE OF COVERTURE-ONCE SHE WAS MARRIED SHE WAS “FEMME COVERT, ” LEGALLY PART OF HER HUSBAND, WITH NO RIGHT TO OWN PROPERTY, NO RIGHT TO SUE FOR DIVORCE, NO RIGHT TO SIGN CONTRACTS, NO RIGHT TO CUSTODY OF HER CHILDREN, HUSBANDS WERE LIABLE FOR ANY FINES IMPOSED ON THEIR WIVES ONLY SINGLE WOMEN OVER 21 AND WIDOWS WERE CONSIDERED “FEMME SOLE” (A WOMAN ALONE) AND PERMITTED TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES AND OWN PROPERTY

SEPARATE SPHERES Ø BY THE EARLY 19 TH CENTURY A NEW DOCTRINE CONCERNING WOMEN’S STATUS EVOLVED CALLED “SEPARATE SPHERES” Ø WITH THE MARKET AND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS, MEN NOW LEFT HOME IN THE MORNING AND ENTERED THE PUBLIC SPHERE, WHILE WOMEN AND CHILDREN REMAINED BEHIND IN THE PRIVATE OR DOMESTIC SPHERE Ø WHILE MEN EARNED THE FAMILY’S INCOME, MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN MANAGED THE HOME, NURTURED THE CHILDREN, AND DID NOT TAKE JOBS OUTSIDE THE HOME Ø EVEN WORKING CLASS WOMEN, WHOSE FAMILY INCOME WAS ONLY AROUND $800 A YEAR, TOOK WORK INTO THEIR HOMES ONCE THEY WERE MARRIED, RATHER THAN WORK OUTSIDE Ø WAGES EARNED BY WORKING WOMEN WERE LEGALLY THEIR HUSBAND’S OR FATHER’S Ø WOMEN WERE BARRED FROM PROFESSIONS SUCH AS LAW & MEDICINE Ø THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THE “DOMESTIC SPHERE” WERE CHURCH-RELATED ACTIVITIES

WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE • • • ONE OF THE EARLY FOCUSES OF THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN THE US WAS WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE AT VARIOUS TIMES IN HISTORY, WOMEN TIED THE ISSUE TO TAXATION, JURY SERVICE, ETC. THE TERM SUFFRAGE DATES BACK TO ANCIENT ROME, THE WORD LITERALLY MEANS “VOTING TABLET” IN AMERICA, THE TERM BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE AND AMERICAN SUFFRAGE LEADERS WERE QUICK TO EMPHASIZE THEIR DIFFERENCES FROM THE BRITISH SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT OF THE EARLY 20 TH CENTURY IN ENGLAND THE TERM SUFFRAGETTE WAS A DEROGATORY NICKNAME FOR THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT FOR THE VOTE-IT SEPARATED THEM FROM MEN’S GROUPS SUCH AS TRADES UNION MEMBERS WHO DEMANDED THE VOTE IN THE LATE 19 TH CENTURY IN ENGLAND THE MOVEMENT WAS ALSO VIOLENT, AND AMERICAN LEADERS PREFERED A PEACEFUL APPROACH THAT EMPHASIZED CIVIL DISOBEDIENCEPICKETING, ETC.

REFORM & THE EARLY SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT ØTHE EARLY WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT GREW OUT OF THE ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT ØFEMALE ABOLITIONISTS ELIZABETH CADY STANTON & LUCRETIA MOTT WERE FORCED TO SIT BEHIND A SCREEN AND ONLY LISTEN AT THE WORLD ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION IN ENGLAND IN 1840 ØAS A RESULT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE, THEY VOWED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WOMEN’S RIGHTS

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON & LUCRETIA MOTT

SENECA FALLS, 1848 ØWHEN MOTT, A QUAKER, VISITED STANTON, A POLITICIAN’S WIFE, IN SENECA FALLS IN 1848 THEY DECIDED TO CALL A CONVENTION TO DISCUSS WOMEN’S STATUS IN AMERICA ØTHEY WERE SHOCKED WHEN OVER 200 PEOPLE TURNED OUT, INCLUDING MEN ØSTANTON WROTE THE “DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS” BASED ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AND IT INCLUDED THE RADICAL IDEA OF WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE ØONLY AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH BY BLACK ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS CONVINCED THE CONVENTION TO APPROVE THE DECLARATION

SUSAN B. ANTHONY Ø SHORTLY AFTER SENECA FALLS STANTON, WHO COULD NOT TRAVEL BECAUSE OF HER LARGE FAMILY, MET SUSAN B. ANTHONY WHO BECAME HER PARTNER IN THE PUSH FOR WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE Ø WHILE STANTON STAYED IN SENECA FALLS AND WROTE SPEECHES AND EDITORIALS, ANTHONY BEGAN A LONG CAREER LOBBYING 1 ST THE NEW YORK ASSEMBLY AND THEN CONGRESS ON THE SUFFRAGE ISSUE

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

AFTER THE CIVIL WAR • SUFFRAGISTS ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE REPUBLICANS TO INCLUDE WOMEN IN THE 14 TH & 15 TH AMENDMENTSGRANTING CITIZENSHIP & SUFFRAGE TO AFRICAN AMERICANS • THE REPUBLICANS REFUSED, AND THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN 1875 THAT THE STATES DETERMINED WHO COULD VOTE IN ELECTIONS • THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT SPLIT INTO NWSA LED BY SUSAN B. ANTHONY WHO FAVORED A FEDERAL AMENDMENT, AND AWSA LED BY LUCY STONE WHO FAVORED A STATE BY STATE APPROACH • SEVERAL WESTERN STATES APPROVED SUFFRAGE BY 1900

REORGANIZING THE MOVEMENT ØIN 1890 NWSA & AWSA MERGED INTO NASWA LED BY CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT ØTHE WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT ALSO TOOK ON A NEW PHILOSOPHY ØUNLIKE ANTHONY & STANTON, THEY NO LONGER ARGUED THAT WOMEN DESERVED THE VOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE EQUAL TO MEN ØTHE NEW SUFFRAGISTS ARGUED THAT WOMEN, MORE VIRTUOUS & MORAL THAN MEN, DESERVED THE VOTE TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES ØTHIS IDEA OF THE “HOME PROTECTION BALLOT” WAS PART OF A LARGER MOVEMENT BY WOMEN KNOWN AS “SOCIAL HOUSEKEEPING”

CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT

SOCIAL HOUSEKEEPING Ø STILL GOVERNED BY THE DOCTRINE OF SEPARATE SPHERES, BUT INSPIRED BY THE EMERGING PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT BEGINNING IN THE 1880 S, AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN DEVELOPED THE IDEA OF SOCIAL HOUSEKEEPING AND CREATED WHAT SOME REFERED TO AS “WOMEN’S MIGHTY EMPIRE OF REFORM” Ø CLAIMING THAT THEY PUSHED THEIR AGENDA TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES, WOMEN CREATED A WIDE VARIETY OF NEW REFORM EFFORTS INCLUDING SETTLEMENT HOUSES, THE WCTU THAT CALLED FOR PROHIBITION, CHILD LABOR LAWS, CONSUMER PROTECTION ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT PUSHED FOR PARKS & BETTER SCHOOLS, & THE GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS Ø THE FARMER’S ALLIANCE, ALLOWING MANY SOUTHERN WOMEN TO SPEAK & PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC SETTING FOR THE 1 ST TIME, ALSO SUPPORTED WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE

ALICE PAUL & THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S PARTY ØALTHOUGH NAWSA CONTINUED THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYING STATE & NATIONAL POLITICIANS FOR THE VOTE, A NEW VOICE BECAME PART OF THE MOVEMENT IN THE 1910’SALICE PAUL ØPAUL HAD BEEN PART OF THE SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND THAT USED RADICAL TACTICS, SUCH A VANDALISM, HARASSMENT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, AND A FEW BOMBING TO HELP GAIN WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE IN ENGLAND(1918) ØUPON HER RETURN TO AMERICA, PAUL FOUND NAWSA TO BE TOO CONSERVATIVE, AND CREATED THE CONGRESSIONAL UNION THAT EVOLVED INTO THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S PARTY

ALICE PAUL

THE RADICAL CAMPAIGN OF NWP Ø BEGINNING IN 1912, THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S PARTY DECIDED TO TARGET THE PARTY IN POWER-THE DEMOCRATS-WITH A MORE RADICAL APPROACH TO THE SUFFRAGE ISSUE Ø WHEN WOODROW WILSON ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON FOR HIS INAUGURATION, HE WAS UPSTAGED BY A PARADE BY THE NWP, LED BY THE BEAUTIFUL INEZ MILHOLLAND MOUNTED ON HER HORSE Ø PARADES LIKE THE ONE IN DC CONTINUED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY UNTIL MILHOLLAND’S DEATH FROM EXHAUSTION Ø WILSON MET WITH THE WOMEN, BUT WAS OFFENDED BY THEIR MILITANCY-THEY WERE NOT DEFERENTIAL Ø AS A DEMOCRAT HE ALSO FAVORED THE STATE BY STATE APPROACH Ø IN 1916 HISTORIAN MARY BEARD & OTHERS PREDICTED THAT WITHOUT THE FEDERAL AMENDMENT, THE SOUTHERN STATES WOULD NEVER PERMIT WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE Ø ALICE PAUL THEN DECIDED TO MOVE NWP’S PROTESTS TO A NEW LEVEL

INEZ MILHOLLAND

SUFFRAGE PROCESSION

DC SUFFRAGE PARADE

THE SILENT SENTINELS ØBEGINNING ON JANUARY 10, 1917 NWP MEMBERS LEFT THEIR HEADQUARTERS AT CAMERON HOUSE ON LAFAYETTE SQUARE TO SILENTLY PICKET THE WHITE HOUSE-THE 1 ST TIME ANYONE HAD PICKETED THE WHITE HOUSE ØCARRYING BANNERS WITH EXPRESSIONS SUCH AS “MR. PRESIDENT, HOW LONG MUST WOMEN WAIT FOR FREEDOM” THEY BECAME A DAILY FIXTURE AT THE WHITE HOUSE ØON MARCH 4 OVER 1000 WOMEN PICKETED ON THE EVE OF WILSON’S 2 ND INUAGURAL

LEAVING NWP HQ TO PICKET THE WHITE HOUSE

AT THE WHITE HOUSE GATES

THE SILENT SENTINELS

THE SILENT SENTINELS AT FIRST WILSON INVITED THE WOMEN IN TO TEA, BUT THEY DECLINED THEIR BANNERS OFTEN QUOTED WILSON’S SPEECHES BACK AT HIM WHEN THE U. S. ENTERED WORLD WAR I, SOME OF THE BANNERS BEGAN TO COMPARE WILSON TO KAISER WILHELM II, THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION-PART OF THE WILSON ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORT TO CONTROL DISSENT DURING WORLD WAR IVIEWED THE WOMEN AS TRAITORS MANY THOUGHT THE WOMEN SHOULD STOP THE PICKETING UNTIL THE WAR WAS OVER, AND WERE INCREASINGLY CRITICAL OF THEM AS UNPATRIOTIC MOBS HARASSED AND ATTACKED THEM HUNDREDS OF WOMEN ARRESTED FOR BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK BY THE DC POLICE, SINCE THEY REFUSED TO PAY THEIR FINES THEY RECEIVED JAIL SENTENCES

KEEP THE WATCHFIRES BURING

KAISER WILSON

THE ARRESTS

THE ARRESTS

THE ARRESTS

OCCOQUAN WORKHOUSE Ø AT LEAST 168 OF THE WOMEN WERE SENT TO THE RECENTLY CREATED OCCOQUAN WORKHOUSE IN AN EFFORT TO SEPARATE THEM FROM ALICE PAUL, WHO REMAINED IN THE DC JAIL Ø AT THE WORKHOUSE THEY HAD TO WEAR PRISON CLOTHING-HARSH & NOT CLEAN, EAT BROTH & SOUP FULL OF BUGS & WORMS, SLEEP IN COLD CELLS ON UNCLEAN BEDDING, AND DO SEWING, LAUNDRY, ETC. , ALL THE TIME ENDURING HARASSMENT FROM PRISON OFFICIALS Ø THE SUFFRAGISTS REFUSED TO WEAR THE PRISON CLOTHES OR DO THEIR WORK, AND ENCOURAGED OTHER INMATES TO REFUSE TO DO THEIRS Ø THEY INSISTED THAT THEY WERE POLITICAL PRISONERS, AND DESERVED BETTER TREATMENT Ø WHEN WORD REACHED THEM ALICE PAUL HAD DECIDED TO GO ON A HUNGER STRIKE IN DC, LUCY BURNS (JAILED 6 TIMES) AND MANY OF THE OTHER WOMEN IN OCCOQUAN DECIDED TO FOLLOW SUIT Ø PRISON OFFICIALS FORCE-FED THEM BY FORCING A TUBE IN THEIR NOSES AND POURING LIQUID DIRECTLY INTO THEIR SYSTEMS-SOMETHING VERY PAINFUL Ø THE SITUATION AT OCCOQUAN DETERIORATED UNTIL THE NIGH OF TERROR

TAKEN FROM COURT

IN PRISON IN DC

OCCOQUAN WORKHOUSE

LUCY BURNS IN JAIL

PAULINE ADAMS IN PRISON DRESS

DORIS STEVENS, ALLISON HOPKINS & EUNICE BRANNAN IN PRISON CLOTHES

FORCE FEEDING

WILSON CHANGES HIS POSITION Ø FACED WITH AN OUTCRY OVER THE SUFFRAGISTS’ TREATMENT AT OCCOQUAN, AS WELL AS RECOGNITION THAT AMERICAN WOMEN DID A GREAT DEAL TO SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT DURING WORLD WAR I, WILSON ANNOUNCED IN 1918 HE WOULD SUPPORT THE WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT Ø AT THE SAME TIME HE HAD TURNED HIS BACK ON THE NWP, HE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MORE TRADITIONAL NAWSA, WHO WERE MORE TRADITIONAL & DEFERENTIAL TO HIM

WOODROW WILSON

STATES GRANTING SUFFRAGE BEFORE THE 19 TH AMENDMENT

THE 19 TH AMENDMENT ØFOLLOWING WILSON’S CHANGE IN POSITION, CONGRESS PASSED THE 19 TH AMENDMENT IN 1919 AND SENT IT TO THE STATES TO BE RATIFIED ØTHE ONE REGION THAT RESISTED THE 19 TH AMENDMENT WAS THE SOUTH ØTENNESSEE PROVIDED THE BREAKTHROUGH, HOWEVER ON AUGUST 24, 1920 AFTER YOUNG LEGISLATOR HARRY BURN CHANGED HIS VOTE AT URGING OF HIS MOTHER, A FRIEND OF CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT’S ØWITH THE NECESSARY 36 STATES THE 19 TH AMENDMENT BECAME PART OF THE CONSTITUTION

THE TURNING POINT SUFFRAGIST MEMORIAL • The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Committee is working with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) to raise funds to erect a suffragist memorial to commemorate the struggle of the women who were imprisoned at the Workhouse and educate future generations. The targeted date for the groundbreaking for the first phase, a commemorative garden) is 2010 to celebrate the 90 th anniversary of the passage of the 19 th Amendment

TO HELP THE TPSM EFFORT • TPSM needs volunteers to help our effort to increase awareness in our efforts-please fill out a pledge card provided by our speaker • TPSM also accepts donations to help support the construction of the memorial • Checks should be made to the –Northern Virginia Regional Park Foundation-Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. (Address-5400 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22039) • Credit Card donations should be made using the TPSM website : www. suffragistmemorial. org Click on DONATE. They will receive a receipt from Pay. Pal.