Alice Paul - The Fight of Her Life

            When the thought of women voting was completely insane, someone had a vision that both genders would be politically equal in society. Suffragist Alice Paul, dedicated her life fighting for women's rights. Up to the early 1900's, women did not have a voice, nor the right to vote, that was when suffragists around the world decided to better the future of women. Very few people have had as much of an impact as Alice Paul has on American History for women because of her drive and militant political activism.
             Alice Paul's involvement with the fight for women's rights began at an early age on a Hicksite farm. She was born on January 11th, 1885 in Moorestown, New Jersey, and grew up comfortably on Paulsdale, a farm owned by her wealthy father. Alice often had many responsibilities on the farm, introducing her to the value of perseverance, that would later on be crucial for her success. As Quakers, Alice's parents raised her with the belief of gender equality. She once said during an interview in 1974, "When the Quakers were founded, one of their principles was and is equality of the sexes. So I never had any other idea" (Alice Paul Institute). Growing up in a Quaker community and knowing nothing other than their beliefs, meant Alice's childhood environment sheltered her from the rest of the world's inequality. Her mother, Tacie Paul, was who first introduced woman suffrage to Alice. At the time, Tacie was a member of the National American Women's Suffrage Association and often, Alice would accompany her mother at the suffrage meetings, especially those held at Paulsdale. Attending these meetings was where Alice's belief in women's equality was born. Women rights ideals were first introduced to Alice during her childhood, but it was her stay in England that changed her into a fighting suffragist.
             Paul used persistent tactics to push the government into giving her, and other women, the right to vote.