"Suffragists Speak" Thematic Archive

The core of this site is a unique set of oral histories of women who both inherited and fulfilled the hopes of the suffrage movement's early pioneers such as Susan B. Anthony. Despite many hardships, leaders from this period, including Alice Paul, were able to maintain a passionate commitment to winning voting rights for women in the United States. Demanding that democracy be applied at home, the suffragists echoed President Woodrow Wilson's rallying cry for World War I, "We will fight for the things we have always held nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own government."

To bring this critical period to life, a diverse mix of primary and secondary resources are available. These sources are suitable for scholarly researchers as well as those who are simply curious about this important period in our history.