Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights

Gr 9 Up—Born in 1885 to a Quaker family in Moorestown, NJ, Alice Paul was a lively and inquisitive child who loved to read and learn. She completed her undergraduate education at Swarthmore College and then traveled to England, where she became involved in social work and helped at the College Settlement, a community center. Paul also took part in the women's suffrage movement, which ultimately became her life's work. Returning to the United States in 1910, Paul became a leading spokesperson and organizer. Working tirelessly for the cause, she was often arrested and sent to jail for leading marches and for picketing the White House. Staging hunger strikes while in jail, Paul was force-fed by her jailers. She never gave up the fight and urged President Woodrow Wilson to support the 19th Amendment. After its ratification, Paul devoted the remainder of her life to fighting for an equal rights amendment that she wrote. The author makes excellent use of Paul's letters and journals to re-create her life for a high school audience.