A great woman came to to the earth on this date, January 11, in the year 1885. Alice Paul. She was the planner, and backbone, of some of the most tremendous political achievements for women in the United States, during the 20th century. When we look at the broad scope of things, we can see that few individuals have had as much impact on American history as has Alice Paul.
She shaped her whole life around the struggle for justice and righteousness. She lived in a time when women were considered less than second-class citizens. They virtually had no rights at all. Her vision. Her strength. She fought for the belief — the truth — that women and men should be equal partners in society. She worked tirelessly for the passing of the 19th Amendment, as well as the Equal Rights Amendment.
Coming into this world in 1885 must have been quite a thing. She was born to Quaker parents in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. They were actually Hicksite Quakers, who were a little more “liberal” than traditional, orthodox Quakers. Even still, they held the same core beliefs and the practice of a simple life.
Her parents were William, and Tacie Paul, married in 1881. They moved into Paulsdale, which is the name of their farm, in 1883. And then, a couple of years later, their first child, Alice, was born. Later came a brother, a sister, and another brother.
One thing of interest is that Alice’s father was a successful businessman. He was also the president of the Burlington County Trust Company in Moorestown, NJ. They were on the wealthy side of things. And as such, his economic success allowed Paulsdale to become what they call a “gentleman’s farm.”
That means they had a bunch of hired hands to do the bulk of the work. The family members may have had some farm chores, but hired hands provided the majority of the farm labor.
As a Quaker, Alice was raised with a belief in gender equality. Right alongside, was her belief that we all need to work for the betterment of society. I should mention, another of the Hicksite Quaker parameters stressed separating from materialistic society. Instead, they believed that staying close to nature was the better way. In a way, Paulsdale did just that. It was a 265-acre farm situated away from the town. They were isolated there, but not completely cut off from society.
But even in view of their wealth, they held on to the simple practices of the Quakers. Alice was an excellent student and an avid reader. Some say voracious. She was a bit of a jock, too, playing several extracurricular sports in school, including basketball, baseball, and field hockey.
But the thing about growing up, how and where she did, allowed her to assimilate her ideas of equality. Her mother Tacie was largely responsible for this. Tacie was a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association attended women’s suffrage meetings often. And when she did, she would take little Alice along. Tacie held meetings at Paulsdale and entertained members afterward.
When she grew up, she was the leading force in getting the 19th Amendment through Congress. The hardships she endured, as a result, are unimaginable. Alice was jailed, beaten, and worse. But she endured and overcame. She was instrumental in moving women a step closer to finding equality in America. vAnd so much more. I am eternally grateful to her for all of this.
Paul died at the age of 92 on July 9, 1977. I wish I could have known her.
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“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, citing an adage her mother would say to her.
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“The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.”
— Chief Joseph
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“We came equals into this world, and equals shall we go out of it.”
— George Mason
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