Alice Paul (1885-1977) & Margaret Fell (1614-1702)

Raised in a Quaker famil, Alice Paul-the 1900s sufragette- showed a strong sense of purpose, a determination that I belive came from the very nature of Quaker practice. 

The first Quakers lived in mid-XVI century in England and like others dissenting protestant groups of that time broke away from the established Church of England. From the beginning Quaker women played a great role in defining Quakerism, as a matter of fact, one of the founder was a woman Margaret Fell known as "The Mother of Quakerism", a traveling Quaker minister for sometimes, in 1664 she was sentenced to life imprisonment and the loss of her house for allowing Quaker meetings to be held in her home. She defended herself by saying: "As long as The Lord blessed her with a home, she would worship him in it.". During the four years she spent in prison she wrote a pamphlet on women religious leadership "Women speaking justified"  a careful exegesis of Scriptures in which she mainteins the spiritual equality of men and women and that both are capable of being prophets. Her work set the foundation for women's ministery. She had to fight to defend the organisational structure of women's separate meetings that together with George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, she had established in the first years of their evangelical preaching.

the life of Margaret Fell
margaret fell




The Sufragettes  Portrayed in the film Iron Jawded Angels (2004)         
 Alice Paul (1885-1977)  & Lucy Burns (1869-1966)

Suffrage historian Eleonor Clifts notes that "they were opposites in temperament and appearence...whereas Paul appeared fragile, Burns was tall and curvaceous, the picture of vigorous health...unlike Paul, who was uncompromising,and hard to get along with, Lucy was pliable and willing to negotiate. Paul was the militant, Burns the diplomat. Despite  their stark difference.Paul and Burns work together so effectively that followers would often described them as having one mind and spirit."                                    suffrage campaign 1910-1920

Courtesy of Brabant Sofie