MostInfluentialAmericanintheHistoryofTheUnitedStates

IbelievethatAlicePaulwasthemostinfluentialAmericaninthehistoryoftheUnited
States.Ibelievesheisformanyreasons,onereasonisthatshewasawomen'sright
activist,anotherisshewasanamericansuffragist,andshewasalwaysmotivated.Alice
wasbornin1885inNewJersey.ShelivedinAmericamovedtoEnglandandcame
backtoAmericaafteracoupleofyears.

AlicewenttoEnglandin1907until1910,theresheattendedaschoolforQuakersin
Woodbridge.BeforeAlicetherewasstillmanygroupstryingtofacewomensequality.
TherewasagroupcalledNationalAmericanWoman'sSuffrageAssociationalsoknown
asNAWSA.TaciePaulwasadevotedmemberoftheNationalAmericanWomens
SuffrageAssociationandoftentookAlicewithhertothemeetingsandevenhosted
suffragemeetingsatPaulsdale.
(
http://www.armstrong.edu/Initiatives/history_journal/history_journal_fearless_radicalis
m_alice_paul_and_her_fight_for_womens_suf
)TaciePaulishermotherandPaulsdale
washerfarmsname.Thisquoteshowswherehersparktofightwomenmighthave
sparked.AlicelaterjoinedNAWSAbutleftindisagreementwiththeirrules.Thegroup
didsparkherideas,aftershemadeagroupcalledNationalWoman'sParty.She
foundedthisgroupwithLucyBurnsin1916.

Alicehadsuchagreatimpactthatshewasthereasonforthe19thamendment.The
19thammendmentistherightforwomentovote.Whileshewaspicketingthe

governmentseenitasadisruptionandwassentencedtojail.WhenAlicewassentto
OccoquanWorkhouseshefoughtevenharderforthewomansrighttovote,Occoquan
WorkhousewasusedasaprisoninVirginia.SuffrageprisonerJuliaEmoryhadto
beatthreeratsinsuccessionoffhercotonenightasituationnotuncommonin
Occoquan...inadditiontotheabysmalfacilityconditions,authoritiesinstituteda
sustainedprogramofphysical
intimidation.(
http://www.armstrong.edu/Initiatives/history_journal/history_journal_fearle
ss_radicalism_alice_paul_and_her_fight_for_womens_suf
)Theseareonlysomeofthe
experiencesinOccoquanWorkhouse.Tendaysaftershewasinjailshestartedher
nextmovement,ahungerstrike.Duringthisstrikesherefusedtoeatandtheytried
forcinghertoeatthroughtubes.Whensherefusedthattootheythoughtshewas
mentalandsenthertothepsychiatricward.Thissoonwasheardbypublicandledto
anoutcryleadingtoherrelease.Allhereffortledtopeopleallovertheworldaccepting
equality.HereffortstogetwomensrightslanguageintotheUnitedNationspreamble
resultedinmanynationsaroundtheworldadoptingequalrightslanguagethattheUS
hasneveraccepted.(
http://www.womenon20s.org/alice_paul
).

Alicetriedfouryearsforthingstochange,butimaginehowmanypeoplebeforeher
triedandfailed.Shewasafighterandwasnotupforit.Oneofthebiggestmovements
hemadewaspicketingoutsideofthewhitehousewithmanywomen.OnJanuary10,
1917,PaulledadozenwomentothegatesoftheWhiteHouse.Thefirstpeopleeverto
pickettheWhiteHouse,theycalledthemselvesSilentSentinelsbuttheycarried

bannersthatshrieked:MR.PRESIDENTHOWLONGMUSTWOMENWAITFOR
LIBERTY?(
http://www.sewallbelmont.org/learn/whoisalicepaul/
).Thereisanimage
showingAliceputtingtheratificationflagfromNationalWoman'sPartyheadquartersin
Tennesseemakingitthe36thstatetotakeinthe19thamendment.Whiledecidingif
theyshouldletwomenvotetheythoughtaboutalltheaffortwomenhavebeenputtingin
helpingthewar.AfterthelawpassedtheNWPsnewfocuswasanequalityamendment.
ThiswasfirstintroducedtoCongressib1923andcarriedonuntilthe1970s.

Thereisdangerthatbecauseofagreatvictorywomenwillbelievetheirwholestruggleforindependence
ended.Theyhavestillfartogo.ItisfortheWomansPartytodecidewhetherthereisanywayinwhichit
canserveinthestrugglewhichliesaheadtoremovetheremainingformsofwomen'ssubordination(Alice
Paul,TheSuffragist,1921)Alicewantedalotforwomenandshegotsomeofwhatshefoughtfor.This
quoteexplainshoweventhoughthingshavechangeditisnotagiantstepwomenstillwillhavetofightand
stillwillhavetoworkhardforthings.ShealsosayshowtheWoman'sPartywillhelpalltheycan.Another
quoteshesaidtalkedaboutequality.TheworkoftheNationalWomansPartyistotakesexoutoflawto
givewomentheequalityinlawtheyhavewonatthepolls.(AlicePaul,1922)(Bothsourcestakenfrom
http://www.sewallbelmont.org/learn/whoisalicepaul/
)ThereisalsoapictureofAlice

InconclusionthisshowshowAlicePaulhadthegreatestimpactinAmerica.She
workedmanywonders.Shewasawomen'sactivist,anamericansuffragistandalways
seemedtostaymotivated.Shestayedastrongwomenuntil1977.Alicewasnttheonly
onefightingforequalitybutwastheonewiththemostimpact.

IfsomeoneweretoaskyouwhowasthemostinfluentialpersoninAmerica,youmight
notthinkaboutAlice.PeoplemightthinkthatAlicePaulwasnotthemostinfluential
personinAmericabutshewas.Shemademanydifferencesintheworld,evenmany
amendmentswereadoptedbecauseofhermotivation.Ifitweren'tforhermanyofthe
womeninthisworldwouldhavebeentreateddifferentlyandmaybeneverhavegotthe
chancetovote.

http://www.loc.gov/item/rbcmiller003904
Thisisaprimarysource.Thisisaimageofanewspaper,itishardtoreadsinceitisvery
old.Thistalksaboutherexperienceofgoingonastrikeandnoteating.Thishelpedmythesis
becauseitshowshowshewasstronganddidn'tgiveup.

http://www.loc.gov/item/97519946/
Thisisaprimarysource.ItisanimageofAlicesowingasuffrageflag.Thisshowsher
motivationtowardsthisequalitytopic.

http://www.armstrong.edu/Initiatives/history_journal/history_journal_fearless_radicalism_alice_p
aul_and_her_fight_for_womens_suf

http://www.biography.com/people/alicepaul9435021#earlylifeandschooling

http://www.armstrong.edu/Initiatives/history_journal/history_journal_fearless_radicalism_alice_p
aul_and_her_fight_for_womens_suf

http://www.history.com/topics/womenshistory/alicepaul

Bibliography
PBS.
PBS
.PBS,n.d.Web.25May2015.
<
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/peopleevents/p_paul.html
>
Thissourcetalkedmoreaboutafterherworklife.Thiswebsiteisasecondarysource.This
websitedoesn'tonlytalkaboutthe19thamendmentbutaboutmuchmoreinformation.
AlicePaul.
Womenon20s
.N.p.,n.d.Web.25May2015.
<
http://www.womenon20s.org/alice_paul
>
Thiswebsiteisasecondarysource.Itgavemeherlifestorybutnotenoughinformationabout
herlifeasakid.Thistalkedaboutthingsshedidafterthe19thamendment.

WhoIsAlicePaul?|SewallBelmontHouseMuseum.
SewallBelmontHouseMuseum.
N.p.,
n.d.Web.25May2015.<
http://www.sewallbelmont.org/learn/whoisalicepaul/
>

Thissourceisasecondarysource.ThistalkedaboutNWPalotandthepartsheplayed
init.ItalsotalkedaboutNAWSAthenationalwoman'ssuffrageassociation.Thisgave
mepowerfulquotesthatshesaidaboutequality.