Women's Suffrage Parade

The following facts about the march were taken from the article entitled "Marching For The Vote: Remembering The Women's Suffrage Parade of 1913." Found here:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/aw01e/aw01e.html

The day before President Wilson's inauguration, a massive suffrage parade was held on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.. Alice Paul lead the Congressional Committee which raised funds, and recruited workers and followers.  By March 3, the committee had organized the floats, banners, speakers, programs, tableau and all of the money going towards the march.  Suffrage groups across the nation contributed to funds of the march.  The total cost was $14,906.08.

Here it describes the march.

“On Monday, March, 3, 1913, in Washington D.C., clad in white cape astride a white horse, lawyer Inez Milholland led the great woman suffrage parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital.  Behind her stretched a long line with nine bands, four mounted brigades, three heralds, about twenty-four floats, and more than 5,000 marchers.”

In the procession there were sections of women representing the different people in support for women's suffrage. There were women from different countries, pioneers of the suffrage movement, working women that included professions like librarians, farmers, nurses and college women. There was also state delegations as well as a section of male supporters. 

Although the march was successful to begin with, it then made a fateful turn for disaster.  Because it was the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, many men were in town and it was mostly males who lined the streets to watch the march.  After a couple of blocks it became almost impossible for the march to move forward because men rushed in the streets making it impossible for the marchers to continue.  Men began to trip, shove, and shout profanities to the women.  Police officers and officials also took part in the harassment. "Because of the fighting and aggravation, over one hundred marchers were taken to the local Emergency Hospital; there was even a troop of cavalry from Ft. Meyers to help control the crowd." 

Although it was extremely difficult, many women and men made their way successfully through the crowd.  Once the procession reached the Treasury Building, they presented an allegorical tableau which presented the ideas for women’s equity. 

Even though women’s suffrage had received local and state feedback and attention,  it was extremely difficult for the women’s suffrage movement to gain notice and recognition on a nation level. This march created national attention, so it could not have come at a better time.

Woodrow Wilson arrived in Washington, D.C., the day of the March and when he stepped off the train, there hardly a crowd to greet him because the crowd was lining Pennsylvania Avenue, watching the parade instead. View the New York Times article about Wilson stepping off the train.

Watch from 2:27 to 2:50

This march caught the attention of the American country and it's government and government officials. The New York Times covered the suffrage parade and portrayed it accurately. Although a violent event, the newspaper frames the event and woman's suffrage in a very positive light. They create a bias with words with the usage of "astonishing, wonderful, splendid, zest and brilliant spectacle." Over 5,000 marched and the article describes this parade as the greatest parade of women in history.

Another suffrage parade was held May 3, 1917. Here is a New York Times article about the parade before it actually happened. In the article, it names off the men that will march in the parade. The Times is framing the event to show that not only women are participating in the movement and that the movement is starting to gain momentum because men are supporting it as well.