1917 Silent Sentinels pickets

1917 Silent Sentinels pickets were a group of women, led by Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party (NWP), who picketed the White House to demand women's suffrage and the right to vote, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The pickets, which began on January 10, 1917, were a pivotal moment in the Women's suffrage movement in the United States, with notable supporters including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth. The pickets drew attention from prominent figures such as Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who were all influenced by the Progressive Era and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The pickets also coincided with the United States' entry into World War I, which was supported by John J. Pershing and opposed by Jane Addams and the American Union Against Militarism.

● Introduction

The 1917 Silent Sentinels pickets were a non-violent protest that took place in front of the White House, with the goal of pressuring Woodrow Wilson and the United States Congress to pass a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote, as advocated by the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the League of Women Voters. The pickets were organized by the National Woman's Party (NWP), which was founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, and were supported by notable figures such as Harriot Stanton Blatch, Ida B. Wells, and Mary Church Terrell. The pickets were also influenced by the Suffragette movement in the United Kingdom, led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel Pankhurst and Sylvia Pankhurst. The pickets drew attention from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, and William English Walling.

● Background

The women's suffrage movement in the United States had been ongoing for decades, with key events including the Seneca Falls Convention and the Women's Loyal National League petition, which was supported by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. The National Woman's Party (NWP) was founded in 1916 by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, with the goal of securing a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote, as advocated by the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the League of Women Voters. The NWP was influenced by the Suffragette movement in the United Kingdom, led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel Pankhurst and Sylvia Pankhurst. The pickets were also supported by notable figures such as Eugene V. Debs, Norman Thomas, and A. Philip Randolph, who were all influenced by the Socialist Party of America and the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

● The Picketing Campaign

The picketing campaign began on January 10, 1917, with a group of women, including Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Dora Lewis, standing in front of the White House with signs that read "Mr. President, what will you do for woman suffrage?" and "How long must women wait for liberty?" The pickets were a daily presence in front of the White House, with women from all over the country participating, including Inez Milholland, Alva Belmont, and Crystal Eastman. The pickets were supported by notable figures such as Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, and Lillian Wald, who were all influenced by the Hull House and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. The pickets drew attention from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, and William English Walling.

● Arrests and Imprisonment

In June 1917, the pickets were arrested and charged with "obstructing traffic" and "disorderly conduct", with many being sentenced to prison terms, including Alice Paul, who was imprisoned in the Occoquan Workhouse and later in the District of Columbia Jail. The arrests and imprisonments drew widespread attention and outrage, with many notable figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Jennings Bryan, speaking out in support of the pickets and calling for their release, as advocated by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild. The pickets were also supported by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which was founded by Big Bill Haywood and Mary Harris Jones.

● Legacy and Impact

The 1917 Silent Sentinels pickets played a significant role in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, as advocated by the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the League of Women Voters. The pickets also drew attention to the women's suffrage movement and helped to galvanize public support for the cause, with notable figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth playing important roles. The pickets were also influential in the development of non-violent protest and civil disobedience, with many notable figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, drawing inspiration from the pickets and the Women's suffrage movement in the United States.

● Notable Participants

Notable participants in the 1917 Silent Sentinels pickets included Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, Dora Lewis, Inez Milholland, Alva Belmont, and Crystal Eastman, as well as many other women who were active in the Women's suffrage movement in the United States, including Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, and Harriot Stanton Blatch. The pickets were also supported by notable figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Jennings Bryan, who were all influenced by the Progressive Era and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The pickets drew attention from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, and William English Walling, and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which was founded by Big Bill Haywood and Mary Harris Jones. Category:Women's suffrage in the United States