Alice Paul and the American Suffrage Campaign

If you are one of the lucky, you know who Alice Paul is and what she has done for the women's suffragist movement in the early 20th century. Many women, and society in general, don't think twice about women suffering in order to obtain the right to vote. Not many people know about the radical suffrage movement lead by Alice Paul and her followers like Lucy Burns. Historians look at Paul and see her as very daring, and not exactly someone they want to endorse while they had someone like Susan B. Anthony to hide her behind. Alice Paul does not have much scholarship about her life or even what she has done for the women's suffrage movement partially for this reason. Of that `scholarship' out there, not all of it is entirely accurate including what is written in some history books. The publishing of this book was, and having my History of Feminism teacher bring it to my attention, was a delight. You learn so much more about Alice Paul's life, her influences, and what was driving her throughout these tough times during the suffrage movement. Adams and Keene begin the book by giving you a background into who Alice Paul is, other suffrage leaders during the same time, her association with the NAWSA, NWP, and the few books and articles associated with Alice Paul's life work. I almost wish this part of the book was a little longer and a little more in depth since I found her upbringing to be the most interesting. As much as we know to be true about traditional women in early American 20th century, the Quaker tradition was very appealing to learn about since it was so influential on Alice Paul's nonviolent tactics to help the suffragist cause. Women were encouraged to seek out what they wanted to do with their lives and to get an education. Not to stay at home be `domesticated' and hideaway in the private sphere like most other women of the same era. These Quaker traditions encouraged women's activism, and in being a Quaker you were meant to have a life purpose in a very passive way. This was all instilled in Paul throughout her youth and prepared her well for her `purpose` later on in life. I found these influences intriguing, tying back to her interest in Thoreau and Tolstoy's writing. There was also someone else who seemed very motivated in the same things, which is probably a connection no other historian would have ever seen unless they had taken a closer look. Gandhi and Alice Paul were fascinatingly connected by Keene and Adams. Throughout the book the authors made reference back to these two and their connection to nonviolence social protest. Each of these activists was intrigued in the same writings, had ties with the Pankhurst's, and was connected directly with their views. I think they made this point to show that although Gandhi is known for being a well known nonviolent social protester, he was not the first. This book takes you inside Alice Paul's ideas and her methodology of nonviolence, and how she used it to her advantage to gain so m