On November 14, 1917, 33 women were arrested outside the White House on charges of obstructing traffic. They were taken to Occoquan Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia, where they were beaten by Superintendent William H. Whittaker and his band of armed prison guards. The reason for the beating: to teach the women a lesson. Their crime: picketing outside the White House for a woman’s right to vote.
That night would be dubbed “The Night of Terror” in history books. It was also just a small slice of injustices doled out to heroic women who put getting the right to vote above everything else in their lives.
One hundred and four years later, we should thank them every day for their sacrifice.
November 14th wasn’t the first time that the “Silent Sentinels” were arrested for peacefully marching in the nation’s capital while trying to get the attention of President Woodrow Wilson. Many had been arrested before, and longer prison sentences were being handed down to these women who dared to buck the system. However, it was the first time that women were beaten by prison guards, some to death. And it was an indication of how far women who truly believed that “all men were created equal” would go to include themselves in this group.
The women’s movement started before the Civil War, when women sought not only the right to vote, but the right to own property. It gained strength in 1848 when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca Falls convention In 1869, Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Women’s Suffrage Association.
The struggle for a woman’s right to vote took years, even as 16 states had extended voting rights to women by the beginning of the 20th century. However, after 100 years since the first rumblings of the women’s movement began, a national amendment still seemed out of reach.
Alice Paul and Harriet Stanton Blatch were among those who organized women to picket, protest, and march, which led to beatings by policemen and time in prison for many. After President Wilson switched from opposition to support in 1918, the Senate approved the 19th Amendment on June 4, 1919. But it still needed ratification from 36 states.
Our own Virginia voted against ratification. But Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify when Representative Harry T. Burn, a Republican opponent to the amendment, cast his vote in favor because his mother told him to. So thanks to her, all women can now vote!
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was fully certified by the U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. It states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
This month, we celebrate the 104th anniversary of the 19th amendment.
But just as “all men are created equal…” didn’t really mean all men, the idea that no one should be denied the right to vote “on account of sex” didn’t mean all women. Black and minority women continued to face discrimination at the polls until 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was passed.
So when we women go to the polls to vote this November, we need to remember those who dedicated their lives to ensure that women have that right. We are a mighty force - 51% of the U. S. population is female. So women can change elections. In honor of those who fought, we must use that power wisely.
Remember that fifty years ago, women got the right to control their own bodies when Roe was established.
Two years ago, women lost those rights.
A misogynistic pig is running for president. If he wins, 104 years might not be long enough to protect women’s right to vote.
The fight never ends. And it will never be easy. But voting for candidates that promise to protect the rights of all will be one way to fight back.
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