Jailed for Freedom.
A Suffrage Roll Call Of Honor
Stevens, Doris. Jailed for Freedom New York: Boni and Liveright, (1920). Signed at the front blank by Alice Paul and eleven fellow members of the National Woman’s Party.
12mo, (including appendices); illustrated throughout with half-tone photographs; heavily underlined and annotated throughout in blue and red ink; dark blue wove cloth lettered in gold front and spine; binding sunned at spine with tips and ends lightly rubbed. Housed in custom-made cloth clamshell box.
First edition. Alice Paul (1885-1977), suffrage leader, founder in 1913 of the Congressional Union and its first Chairman, was a Quaker who spent time in England with Sylvia Pankhurst, absorbing the more confrontational tactics employed by the English suffragettes. Returning to the United States, she re-ignited the suffrage movement. In 1913 she and Lucy Burns organized the single most dramatic event in the history of the movement: the March 3rd parade of more than 8,000 suffragists dressed in white down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. When the NAWSA refused to pursue the advantages she had won for them, Paul left to form the Congressional Union and subsequently the National Woman’s Party. In January, 1917 Alice Paul and her cohorts began picketing the White House— daily silent vigils — with banners asking, “How long must Women Wait for Liberty?” The picketing infuriated President Woodrow Wilson. In August, 1917 the picketers were assaulted; police arrested the women, rather than their assailants. Sentenced to 60 days in the Occoquan Workhouse for “blocking the sidewalk,” the jailed suffragists embarked on a hunger strike which authorities countered by resorting to force feeding and one night of terror when a number of the women were roughed up and beaten. (By 1918, the Federal Court of Appeals conceded that the women had committed no crime.)
Other members of the National Woman’s Party who have signed their names at the front blank: Dora Lewis: “Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Philadelphia, Pa...member of the executive committee of N.W.P. since 1913...served 3 days in jail for picketing July, 1917; arrested Nov. 10, 1917, sentenced to 60 days; arrested Lafayette Sq. meeting, Aug. 1918, sentenced to 15 days...: Adelaide Johnson. Sculptor. Maud Younger: (California) Member of the Executive committee of the National Woman’s Party (1917-1920). Anne Martin: (Reno, Nev.) Served as legislative chairman for Congressional Union, and N.W.P. and member of executive committee...In 1918 ran on independent ticket for U.S. Senate. July 14, 1917, sentenced to 60 days at Occoquan workhouse for picketing...”
Sue White: (Jackson, Tenn.) “...state chairman, N.W.P.; recently edited The Suffragist...descendant of Marshall and Jefferson families of Va....Feb. 9, 1919, arrested and served 5 days in District Jail for participating in final watchfire demonstration.”
Helena Hill Weed: (Norwalk, Conn.) “...graduate of Vassar and Montana School of mines. One of few qualified women geologists....Prominent member of Congressional Union and NN.W.P. from early days. One of first pickets arrested, July 4, 1917; served 3 days in District Jail. Aug., 1918, arrested for participation in Layfayette Sq. meeting; sentenced to 15 days. Jan., 1918, sentenced to 24 hours for applauding in court.”
Nina E. Allender: Member of Congressional Union and N.W.P. As an artist she contributed regularly to The Suffragist tracing “during the entire eight years of its History a running commentary on the progress of the Woman’s Party.” [Irwin, Up Hill With Banners Flying]
Mary H. Ingham: (Philadelphia, Pa.) “...graduate Bryn Mawr College; Pa. chairman of N.W.P.... Arrested for picketing July 14, 1917; sentenced to 60 days in Occoquan...”
Elizabeth Walmesley [Mrs. Bertha]: (Kansas City, Mo.) “...holding government position at time arrested for applauding suffragists in court; served 3 days in District Jail.”
Joy Young: (New York City) “...organizer
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