The CU/NWP employed radical tactics, which Alice Paul, CU/NWP leader, learned while working with the English suffragettes. The CU/NWP's primary strategy was to work towards the federal suffrage amendment, the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. They employed the anti-party in power strategy to build support for the amendment. They blamed the Democrats, the party in power of US government, for witholding woman suffrage; they worked against Democrats' re-elections. In addition, the CU/NWP used strategies to gain public attention, including picketing the White House. The documents below describe the strategies and public reaction to them.
Bland, Sidney Roderick. Techniques of Persuasion: the National Woman's Party and Woman Suffrage, 1913-1919. Diss. George Washington University, 1972.
Ford, Linda J. Iron-Jawed Angels: Militancy of the National Woman's Party, 1912-1920. Lanham: University Press of America, 1991.
Gilmore, Inez Haynes Irwin. The Story of the Woman's Party. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1921.
A detailed account of the Woman's Party's and Alice Paul's role in winning suffrage for United States women. Written by a member of the Woman's Party, it glorifies the party and Alice Paul.
Graham, Sally Hunter. "Woodrow Wilson, Alice Paul, and the Woman Suffrage Movement." Political Science Quarterly 98 (1983-84): 665-79.
Stevens, Doris. Jailed for Freedom: American Women Win the Vote.1920. Ed. Carol O'Hare. Troutdale: New Sage Press, 1995.
A member of the National Woman's Party wrote about the strategies the Woman's Party used to win the vote. This edition has been edited to exclude "legislative politics, author bias, and verbiage" from the original 1920 edition.
Trecker, Janice Law. "The Suffrage Prisoners." American Scholar 41 (72): 422.
Zimmerman, Loretta Ellen. Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party, 1912-1920. Diss. Tulane University, 1964.
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Dias, Jill. How Did the National Woman's Party Address the Issue of the Enfranchisement of Black Women, 1919-1924? Last updated 5/97. http://womhist.binghamton.edu/nwp/introduc.htm
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NWP to "Dear Suffragist". 15 March 1919.
SSC. Catt Collection. Box 4, folder 48.
Letter urges suffragists to donate money to NWP. It claims that the Anthony suffrage amendment did not pass previously because the NWP lacked funds to campaign for it. "...our treasury is empty. Please help us now, and help us with a will."
Alice Paul to "Dear Suffragist" (NWP members). Date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 3, folder 78.
Paul writes to recruit White House picketers for November 10. She warns potential picketers that they may face jail time for their actions.
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Published Pamphlets, Flyers, Reports, and Articles
Kellor, Frances A. Women in the Campaign. Publisher unknown, Jan. 1917.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 91.
Pamphlet is reprinted from the Yale Review. It argues that women's votes in the 1916 presidential campaign did not help the woman suffrage cause. Author claims that women cannot unify in order to be a serious threat to a candidate. Article undermines CU/NWP's belief in organizing women to vote against Democratic candidates in order to create pressure for suffrage.
Author unknown. "President Asked to Open Second Term with Action on Suffrage: Refuses to See Delegation which Waits two hours in rain." The Suffragist 10 March 1917.
SSC. The Suffragist
Issue includes articles about and photographs of the White House pickets.
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Stevens, Doris. The Militant Campaign (preview of soon to be published Jailed for Freedom). Washington, D.C.: National Woman's Party, 1919.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 92.
In this excerpt from her forthcoming book Jailed for Freedom, Stevens describes the reasons why CU/NWP used semi-militant, anti-party in power tactics. She writes, "The military strategy of the campaign was based upon the military doctrine of concentrating all one's forces on the enemy's weakest point". "We set out to embarass an administration unwilling to enfranchise women. We succeeded so well that we began to get results. The minute the government began to move we changed our strategy."
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Brown, Harriet Connor (ed). Official Program of the Woman Suffrage Procession. Washington, D.C.: publisher unknown, date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 3, folder 72.
Program contains biographies of Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who organized the procession. Procession included music, an allegory, and interpretive dance.
CU. A Congressional Union Voiceless Speech. Philadelphia: National Literature Headquarters, date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 95.
Pamphlet outlines the CU's strategy in Washington, D.C. "The woman voters are the crux of the National Suffrage Situation." Pamphlet declares the formation of the Woman's Party (which later merged with CU to form NWP) "to be organized by Women Voters in Chicago on June 5th, 6th, 7th, 1916; will be independent of all other national political organizations and will have but one object, the passage of the Federal Suffrage Amendment".
CU. Is Woman Suffrage a Federal Matter? President Wilson Says:. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Union, date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 95.
Pamphlet used Wilson's words against him and lists several reasons why women suffrage is a national concern. It urges women to write letters to their Senators and Representatives to urge them to support the Anthony amendment.
CU. What is the Paramount Issue Before Congress? National Defense? NO! WOMAN SUFFRAGE. Democracy must determine its own defense. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 95.
Pamphlet answers objections to woman suffrage and claims "A government responsible to all women, as well as men, will be less likely to go to war, without real necessity". It urges women to write to their Senators and Congressmen to urge them to sponsor woman suffrage.
CU. Woman's Party Convention, Chicago, June 5, 6, 7. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Union, date unknown.
SSC. US Suffrage Collection. Box 5, folder 95.
Pamphlet includes list of Woman's Party officers, state chairs, and national departments. Includes Call to the Woman's Party Convention from the CU. The CU urges Western, enfranchised women to use their electoral power to obtain suffrage for women in the East.
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NWP. Press Release. date unknown.
SSC. Catt Collection. Box 1, folder 9.
Press release announces that President Wilson will be burned in effigy to protest his lack of leadership on woman suffrage.
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