Iron Jawed Angels

Women used to be thought of as the stay at home mother by men. They were supposed to take care of the children and take care of the home. Seeing a woman in the workforce was desirable as long as she had an education. Women were seen working in factories or as teachers but they had no say in the government. Thanks to a few women dedicated to making a difference, women have become more independent and now have a say in the government if they choose too. The movie Iron Jawed Angels depicts a group of women who wanted women to have a voice in politics.

The movie Iron Jawed Angels is about a woman named Alice Paul, who strongly believed that women should receive the right to vote. Along with her friend, Lucy Burns and other women, they fought for women's rights and the ratification of the 19th Amendment. These activists showed their strong support by marching during President Wilson's inauguration and protesting in front of the White House during a war, which many men were angry about. The protests in front of the White House led to activists being arrested and charged them with “obstruction of traffic.” Inside the prison, Alice Paul and the other women went on a hunger strike and were forced fed by authorities with raw eggs and milk. Later, the harsh treatment of the authorities was publicized on newspapers which put pressure on the President that led to the ratification of 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.

Carrie Chapman Catt is the chairman of the National American Woman Suffrage Association who did not see protesting, marching, and hunger strike as the procedure that women should take in order to achieve their goals. She believed that the constitutional amendment that gives women the right to vote will only be vetoed in the Senate and will be a waste of time. In other words, she as well as the other women in their group prefer a “state-by-state” approach, while Alice Paul, thought that in order to achieve their goal they must fight for it no matter what it will cost them. The different views from both, led to Alice Paul getting out of the NAWSA group, and creating her own that they called the Congressional Union for Women Suffrage.

In my opinion, Alice Paul was not known too well by people as much as the other figures because she was not the