American Biography

Alice Paul was one of the leading advocates of women’s rights in the early twentieth century. Pictured here with a flag for the National Women’s Party, Paul represented the more radical segment of the national movement for gender equality.

Paul’s protests and the public’s reaction to them often got international attention. This British article describes a time when she was arrested and put in prison for protesting. While in prison, Paul went on a hunger strike, which upset the prison guards. They force-fed her through tubes. In this article, Paul claims that similar methods had been used before, both in America and in England. There she worked with British activists to spread the cause of women’s rights across the Atlanti.

Paul was active in both America and England for most her career. This article describes some of her activities abroad, including a vocal protest in front of British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith.

Paul’s protest strategy involved large public demonstrations in prominent areas of cities. Here, the National Women’s Party, a group co-founded by Paul, protested along a busy street in Chicago.

Some of the largest women’s rights protests in the country were organized by Paul’s groups. Here is a scene from a famous 1914 protest in which Paul led National Women’s Party members onto the steps of the U.S. Capitol to advocate for women’s suffrage.