Jan 1917

🕊️ The Silent Sentinels: A Bold Stand for Women's Suffrage

The Silent Sentinels were a group of over 2,000 women organized by Alice Paul and the National Woman’s Party (NWP) who staged a continuous, nonviolent protest outside the White House from January 1917 to June 1919.

Their goal? To pressure President Woodrow Wilson and Congress to pass a constitutional amendment granting Women the right to vote.

Their strategy? Silent Picketing (They were the first group to picket the White House, holding banners with pointed messages like “Mr. President, how long must Women wait for liberty?”); Strategic Messaging (Their banners quoted Wilson’s own words about democracy, turning his rhetoric back on him; and Visual Identity (They wore purple, white, and gold sashes, the colors of the NWP, and used matching banners to create a striking visual presence.

Did they endure hardships? YES. Nearly 500 Women were arrested, and 168 served jail time. Many were sent to the Occoquan Workhouse, where they endured horrific conditions. On November 14, 1917, known as the “Night of Terror", guards brutally beat and tortured imprisoned suffragists. Lucy Burns was chained by her hands above her head; Dora Lewis was knocked unconscious; Dorothy Day was slammed against an iron bench.

The result? After Wilson’s continued resistance, protesters escalated by burning his speeches and image in effigy. The NWP campaigned against anti-suffrage senators in the 1918 elections. Finally, their relentless pressure paid off: Congress passed the 19th Amendment in June 1919, and it was ratified on August 26, 1920.

How's that for a masterclass in brilliant and principled protest?