Alice Paul, New Jerseyan, Suffragist, Feminist, co-author of the ERA
In 1790, New Jersey became one of the first states to enfranchise women, amending its election laws to include “he” or “she” explicitly granting both men and women the right to vote. But by 1807, the state had revoked that right, not only for women but also for Black people and recent immigrants. New property qualifications further narrowed the electorate, stripping even some white men of their voting rights. Against this backdrop of progress and regression, it seems almost inevitable that Alice Paul, a fiery feminist steeped in the radical tactics of British suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst, would emerge from New Jersey.
Born on January 11, 1885, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Paul grew up in a well-to-do Quaker household that championed gender equality, education for women, and social reform. Her mother, Tacie Parry, a suffragist herself, often brought young Alice to women’s suffrage meetings, planting the seeds of activism that would define her life.
Paul became a towering figure in the fight for women’s rights, a brilliant strategist who played a pivotal role in securing the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920. Though the amendment granted voting rights primarily to white women, it marked a seismic shift in the struggle for equality.
During her time in England, Paul met Lucy Burns, an American suffragist who would become her lifelong collaborator. Together, they immersed themselves in the militant tactics of the British suffrage movement, learning the power of picketing, hunger strikes, and civil disobedience. When Paul and Burns returned to the United States in 1912, they joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), with Paul leading its Washington, D.C., chapter. But Paul’s vision clashed with NAWSA’s state-by-state approach; she believed in targeting Congress directly to push for a constitutional amendment. This strategic divide eventually led Paul and her allies to break away and form the National Woman’s Party (NWP).
Drawing inspiration from her British counterparts, Paul organized bold, attention-grabbing protests. On March 3, 1913, the day before President-elect Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, she led a massive suffrage parade in Washington, D.C. Nearly 8,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, carrying banners and floats, while half a million spectators lined the streets—some cheering, others jeering. The event marked a turning point, thrusting the suffrage movement into the national spotlight.
For Paul, the right to vote was only the beginning. In 1922, she reorganized the NWP to tackle broader issues of gender inequality. A year later, she teamed up with feminist socialist Crystal Eastman to draft the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), also known as the Lucretia Mott Amendment. Though the ERA has yet to be ratified, Paul’s advocacy laid the groundwork for decades of feminist activism.
Paul’s vision extended beyond American borders. In 1938, she founded the World Woman’s Party, which worked to advance women’s rights globally until 1954. Her influence reached its zenith in 1945, when she helped secure language affirming gender equality in the United Nations Charter and played a key role in establishing the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.
Alice Paul’s legacy endures as a testament to her unwavering commitment to equality. A tireless pioneer, she reshaped the landscape of women’s rights, and her impact continues to resonate around the world.
