Today in Herstory: Massive Suffrage Parade Takes the Nation’s Capital By Storm

[niyad]

(actual footage of the beginning of the march:

)

(please notice how, again, the police failed to do their job of protecting the marchers, and remember that it was the same force that so frequently assaulted the protestors there and elsewhere)



Today in Herstory: Massive Suffrage Parade Takes the Nation’s Capital By Storm

March 3, 1913: Any doubts about the courage, dedication, or organizational skills of suffragists that may have existed in the minds of some a few hours ago must certainly lie discarded along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C, tonight.



Had today’s massive suffrage parade and pageant been done on a quiet street and with ample police protection, it would still have been an incredible feat. But when the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the event’s chief organizers, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, successfully pulled off today’s spectacle with almost every imaginable obstacle thrown in their way, they furnished undeniable proof that the late Susan B. Anthony was right when she predicted that “failure is impossible” for woman suffrage.

Somewhere between six and eight thousand costumed marchers representing all 48 States, accompanied by 26 floats, 10 bands, 6 golden chariots and numerous women on horseback, gathered together today to support the cause of “Votes for Women.”



The march began at the Peace Monument, and was led by two equestrians: Inez Milholland, the Herald and Mary Jane Walker Burleson, the Grand Marshal. But when the marchers turned down Pennsylvania Avenue, an unruly mob was encountered. The marchers pushed their way, foot by foot toward the Treasury Building amid a raucous crowd of over 500,000, many drawn to the city for President-elect Wilson’s inauguration tomorrow. So great was the battle that at one point it took three hours to advance just one mile.

At times, for as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a solid mass of people between the buildings lining the sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. The few police who had been assigned to control the crowd either had no interest in doing their duty or knew they were hopelessly outnumbered and simply gave up trying to protect the marchers from aggressive harassment by the disorderly throng. But the suffragists kept calm, and like a well-disciplined army, steadily marched forward.

. . . .

http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2015/03/03/today-in-herstory-massive-suffrage-parade-takes-the-nations-capital-by-storm/

the link below will take you to some wonderful additional pics of the march)

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/03/100-years-ago-the-1913-womens-suffrage-parade/100465/



and this:



100th anniversary march:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?311289-5/1913-womens-suffrage-march-washington-dc

http://www.historybyzim.com/2013/03/woman-suffrage-parade-of-1913/

[niyad]

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[roody]

2. knr

[niyad]

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