CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
The fight for woman suffrage was a decades-long struggle that included many participants who held different opinions on how to achieve the goal of voting rights for women. In 1915, suffragists in Virginia split over this issue. Since its founding in 1909, the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia, an affiliate of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), had focused its efforts on persuading legislators to amend the state constitution to authorize women's voting rights. But some Virginians agreed with Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage chair Alice Paul that a federal amendment would be more effective.
Like other members of the Congressional Union (renamed the National Woman's Party in 1917), members of the Virginia branch signed petitions, distributed pamphlets and leaflets, sent letters and telegrams to their congressmen, and marched in demonstrations and parades, but they made little headway in convincing politicians to support a federal suffrage amendment. In 1917 Alice Paul implemented an innovative tactic to draw attention to the woman suffrage movement. Suffragists began standing outside the White House each day with banners that often quoted President Woodrow Wilson’s speeches in support of democracy abroad in order to highlight his hypocrisy in denying the vote to women at home.
Virginians participated in these picket lines beginning in January 1917. They continued even after the United States entered World War I in April 1917, which angered some people who began confronting the suffragists, who they accused of being treasonous to criticize the president during war. In July, police began arresting the pickets for “obstructing traffic,” even though they were on a sidewalk and not blocking vehicles or pedestrians while exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly. In 1917–1918, approximately 500 women, including some Virginians, were arrested and more than 160 served prison sentences. The pickets were respectable upper- and middle-class white women—very few African American women were encouraged to join the picket lines—and they were often not treated well at the Occoquan Workhouse, near Lorton, Virginia, where many of them were imprisoned. Poor sanitary conditions included shared water buckets for drinking, rats running through the cells, and being fed spoiled meat and bread. The white suffragists did not like sharing spaces and prison dress with African American prisoners. Some suffragists were placed in solitary confinement. A small number went on hunger strikes and were force fed. These actions attracted extensive media attention to the cause. Continued pressure by both the NWP and NAWSA ultimately convinced Congress to pass the Nineteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1920.
In August 1917, Julia S. Jennings, legislative chair of the Virginia branch of the National Woman's Party, wrote a long letter that was published in the Richmond Evening Journal. In it, she described the treatment faced by the picketing women and asked why women have no right to participate in the government that sends their sons, husbands, and family members to war.
Citation: Julia S. Jennings, "Virginia Woman Asks for Justice," published in the Richmond Evening Leader, Aug. 28, 1917, clipping pasted in Minute Book, Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, Virginia Branch records, 1915–1920, Accession 52758, Library of Virginia (available in the Library's online catalog)
Related Document Bank entries
Twelve Reasons Why Mothers Should Have the Vote, Equal Suffrage League Flyer, 1910's
Virginia Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage, Broadside, 1910's
Learn more about the woman suffrage movement in Virginia in the Library's online exhibition, We Demand.
Learn more about Virginia suffragists and the National Woman's Party in The UncommonWealth blog.
Like other members of the Congressional Union (renamed the National Woman's Party in 1917), members of the Virginia branch signed petitions, distributed pamphlets and leaflets, sent letters and telegrams to their congressmen, and marched in demonstrations and parades, but they made little headway in convincing politicians to support a federal suffrage amendment. In 1917 Alice Paul implemented an innovative tactic to draw attention to the woman suffrage movement. Suffragists began standing outside the White House each day with banners that often quoted President Woodrow Wilson’s speeches in support of democracy abroad in order to highlight his hypocrisy in denying the vote to women at home.
Virginians participated in these picket lines beginning in January 1917. They continued even after the United States entered World War I in April 1917, which angered some people who began confronting the suffragists, who they accused of being treasonous to criticize the president during war. In July, police began arresting the pickets for “obstructing traffic,” even though they were on a sidewalk and not blocking vehicles or pedestrians while exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly. In 1917–1918, approximately 500 women, including some Virginians, were arrested and more than 160 served prison sentences. The pickets were respectable upper- and middle-class white women—very few African American women were encouraged to join the picket lines—and they were often not treated well at the Occoquan Workhouse, near Lorton, Virginia, where many of them were imprisoned. Poor sanitary conditions included shared water buckets for drinking, rats running through the cells, and being fed spoiled meat and bread. The white suffragists did not like sharing spaces and prison dress with African American prisoners. Some suffragists were placed in solitary confinement. A small number went on hunger strikes and were force fed. These actions attracted extensive media attention to the cause. Continued pressure by both the NWP and NAWSA ultimately convinced Congress to pass the Nineteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1920.
In August 1917, Julia S. Jennings, legislative chair of the Virginia branch of the National Woman's Party, wrote a long letter that was published in the Richmond Evening Journal. In it, she described the treatment faced by the picketing women and asked why women have no right to participate in the government that sends their sons, husbands, and family members to war.
Citation: Julia S. Jennings, "Virginia Woman Asks for Justice," published in the Richmond Evening Leader, Aug. 28, 1917, clipping pasted in Minute Book, Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, Virginia Branch records, 1915–1920, Accession 52758, Library of Virginia (available in the Library's online catalog)
Related Document Bank entries
Twelve Reasons Why Mothers Should Have the Vote, Equal Suffrage League Flyer, 1910's
Virginia Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage, Broadside, 1910's
Learn more about the woman suffrage movement in Virginia in the Library's online exhibition, We Demand.
Learn more about Virginia suffragists and the National Woman's Party in The UncommonWealth blog.
Standards
USII.3, USII.5, CE.6, CE.9, VUS.12, GOVT.10
Suggested Questions
Lesson Plan
For detailed lesson plan options, visit our Lesson Plan on the Woman Suffrage Movement in Virginia.
Preview Activity
Timeline: Construct a timeline based on this letter. Based on this, what do you think President Wilson knew about what was happening to the women picketing, and why?
Post-Activities
Analyze: What were the ordeals the author pointed out? What do you think about the way she depicted some of the experiences she described, and why? Why do you think she brought up Black women? What do you think about how the police responded to the women, and why?
Debate: Suffragists did not all agree on the most effective way of achieving women's voting rights. Taking either the side of the Equal Suffrage League/NAWSA or the Congressional Union/National Woman's Party, debate whether working for woman suffrage amendments to each state constitution or the U.S. Constitution would be most effective and whether or not more aggressive tactics would be effective. What arguments can they formulate for/against each issue/type of activism? Have them determine a conclusion—what ultimately do they think made the difference, and why?
Social Media: Consider the actions taken by the National Woman's Party members. How might they advocate for women's voting rights today with all of the different avenues and technologies available to them?
For detailed lesson plan options, visit our Lesson Plan on the Woman Suffrage Movement in Virginia.
Preview Activity
Timeline: Construct a timeline based on this letter. Based on this, what do you think President Wilson knew about what was happening to the women picketing, and why?
Post-Activities
Analyze: What were the ordeals the author pointed out? What do you think about the way she depicted some of the experiences she described, and why? Why do you think she brought up Black women? What do you think about how the police responded to the women, and why?
Debate: Suffragists did not all agree on the most effective way of achieving women's voting rights. Taking either the side of the Equal Suffrage League/NAWSA or the Congressional Union/National Woman's Party, debate whether working for woman suffrage amendments to each state constitution or the U.S. Constitution would be most effective and whether or not more aggressive tactics would be effective. What arguments can they formulate for/against each issue/type of activism? Have them determine a conclusion—what ultimately do they think made the difference, and why?
Social Media: Consider the actions taken by the National Woman's Party members. How might they advocate for women's voting rights today with all of the different avenues and technologies available to them?