12 Quotes & Sayings By Alice Paul

Alice Paul was an American suffragist who was one of the leaders of the movement for women's rights in the United States. She was also the first woman to pass a resolution through Congress. Paul was born on June 7, 1885 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was among the first generation of women to go to college and pursue careers in science, medicine, law, and other fields. She received her bachelor's degree at Vassar College in 1904 and her master's degree at Columbia University in 1907 Read more

Paul taught school for six years before becoming involved with the cause of women's suffrage. Paul worked as a volunteer organizer for the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) for 10 months leading up to 1913, when she became an officer. She helped organize demonstrations at the White House and other political events; she also spoke publicly about her beliefs that women should be given more rights. In 1912, Paul attended the International Council of Women (ICW), where she met Alice Paulos (later known as Alice Paul), an executive secretary for the ICW who had been active in promoting voting rights for women since 1907. Shortly after becoming involved with NAWSA, Paul was elected president of its New Jersey chapter. The next year she was elected president of the national organization.

During this time she expanded NAWSA's membership and worked to make it more effective politically. In 1913 NAWSA moved its headquarters from Boston to Washington D.C., where it did much of its organizing work through Congressional hearings and lobbying for legislation that would give women more voting rights. Paul made several trips to Washington during this time, testifying before Congressional committees about why suffrage was necessary and how it would benefit society. When World War I began she helped organize the Women's Patriotic Committee, which raised $300 million for war relief funds by selling Liberty Bonds at auction every day from November 6–10, 1917—the week before women received the right to vote nationally on November 8, 1917. She also helped bring together 30 other national organizations to create the Woman's Peace Party in 1917; that same year she ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for Congress against James Whelpley (D-Illinois). Paul continued her work while working full-time as an executive secretary at NAWSA until 1921 when she resigned to devote herself full-time to suffrage activities while continuing her work with NAWSA part-time until 1923 when she became

1
When you put your hand to the plow you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row. Alice Paul
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I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone and then you get a great mosaic at the end. Alice Paul
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I think if we get freedom for women, then they are probably going to do a lot of things that I wish they wouldn't do. But it seems to me that isn't our business to say what they should do with it. It is our business to see that they get it. Alice Paul
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I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality. Alice Paul
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Food simply isn't important to me. Alice Paul
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There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it. Alice Paul
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We women of America tell you that America is not a democracy. Twenty million women are denied the right to vote. Alice Paul
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The Woman's Party is made up of women of all races, creeds and nationalities who are united on the one program of working to raise the status of women. Alice Paul
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Mr. President how long must women wait to get their liberty? Let us have the rights we deserve. Alice Paul
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To me, it was shocking that a government of men could look with such extreme contempt on a movement that was asking nothing except such a simple little thing as the right to vote. Alice Paul
11
I think that American women are further along than any other women in the world. But you can't have peace in a world in which some women or some men or some nations are at different stages of development. There is so much work to be done. Alice Paul