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National Woman's Party

National Woman's Party Celebrating the history of women's progress towards equality Open Wednesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm and now offering specialty programs!

Visit http://nationalwomansparty.org/visit/plan-your-visit/ to learn more! The house has stood strong on Capitol Hill for over two hundred years. Early occupants of the house participated in the formulation of Congress and witnessed the construction of the US Capitol and the Supreme Court. In 1929, the National Woman’s Party (NWP) purchased the house, and it soon evolved into a center for feminist

education and social change. For over sixty years, the trailblazing NWP utilized the strategic location of the house to lobby for women’s political, social, and economic equality. Today, the museum tells the compelling story of a community of women who dedicated their lives to the fight for women’s rights. The innovative tactics and strategies these women devised became the blueprint for women’s progress throughout the twentieth century. The site was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark for its significance to the history of the United States. The Sewall-Belmont House & Museum, along with the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Star Spangled Banner, was named by Congress as a nationally significant preservation project in legislation establishing the “Save America’s Treasures” program. In 2016, the house was designated the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, becoming the 411th national monument in the National Park Service. The Museum houses one of the most expansive and unique collections from the women’s suffrage and equal rights campaigns. Museum exhibits highlight the tactics and strategies used during the 20th century women’s rights movement and artifacts from the NWP collection bring the story to life. Visit www.nationalwomansparty.org for more information.

“May it stand for years and years to come, telling of the work that the women of the United States have accomplished; the example we have given foreign nations; and our determination that they shall be—as ourselves—free citizens, recognized as the equals of men.”
—Alva Belmont, January 4, 1931

Operating as usual

We have important news this morning! The closing of the Centennial year brings another action by the National Woman’s Pa...
12/29/2020
Alice Paul Institute Receives National Woman’s Party Trademarks

We have important news this morning! The closing of the Centennial year brings another action by the National Woman’s Party (NWP) to sustainably safeguard the NWP’s legacy in the years to come.

After the completion of the historic gift of its collection to the Library of Congress and to the National Park Service, the NWP’s Board of Directors has decided to dissolve the NWP as an independent nonprofit and will transfer its remaining assets to the Alice Paul Institute which shares the NWP’s heritage and mission of advancing women’s equality. You can read more about this transfer here: https://bit.ly/3o1rGnS

On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for your long support of the National Woman’s Party. We sincerely hope that you will continue your engagement through the Alice Paul Institute, which will continue to reflect the National Woman’s Party legacy and its quest for full equality.

API/NWP Joint Press Release on Trademark Transfer

Today's article on the NWP collections gift to the National Park Service and Library of Congress really captures so much...
10/26/2020
Women’s history shrine donates trove of artifacts to Library of Congress and National Park Service

Today's article on the NWP collections gift to the National Park Service and Library of Congress really captures so much of what we treasure about these materials-- and why their preservation is so important. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/10/25/womens-history-donation-vote-suffrage/

The National Woman’s Party said it is donating a large collection of artifacts, many from the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in D.C., to the federal government.

Today, the National Woman’s Party (NWP) announced the gift of its historic collection spanning women’s suffrage and the ...
10/08/2020

Today, the National Woman’s Party (NWP) announced the gift of its historic collection spanning women’s suffrage and the movement for women’s equality to the Library of Congress and National Park Service. This gift comes as the country celebrates 100 years of women's constitutional right to vote and ensures public access to a trove of records about the history of the women’s rights movement in the United States. Read the full release here: http://ow.ly/DiOT50BMyFV

The National Woman’s Party mourns the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  A jurist of extraordinary stature, Justice G...
09/19/2020
A Conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the National Woman's Party

The National Woman’s Party mourns the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A jurist of extraordinary stature, Justice Ginsburg is a role model to generations of women and girls. A courageous champion of justice and equality for all, she has had a profound and lasting impact on the law and particularly on the rights of women.

Justice Ginsburg leaves behind a powerful and historic legacy. Legal equality for everyone is more enshrined in the law because of her brilliant and fierce advocacy. We are all better off because of her work.

A friend of the National Woman’s Party, Justice Ginsburg honored us by leading a convening of women’s rights organizations on Women’s Equality Day in 2018. We honor the work and the legacy of Justice Ginsburg and send our heartfelt condolences to her family. May her memory be a blessing.

https://youtu.be/DRuNVI2TaFg

In celebration of Women's Equality Day on August 26, 2018, the National Woman's Party hosted a conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsbu...

Today marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment became law, finally securing in the U.S. Constitution a woman’s right to ...
08/26/2020

Today marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment became law, finally securing in the U.S. Constitution a woman’s right to vote after more than 70 years of struggle by generations of women across the country.

National Woman’s Party (NWP) founders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, along with countless brave and committed people from across the country, helped accomplish this achievement. And they did so by pursuing innovative tactics and strategies—marching, organizing, lobbying, holding politicians accountable, and picketing the White House—the first organization in history to do so.

They persisted, even during World War I, when many believed it unpatriotic to criticize President Woodrow Wilson during war time. It was this commitment to purpose that led to their arrest, imprisonment, and even an effort to declare Alice Paul insane. In protest of their treatment, many went on hunger strikes and endured brutal force feedings that left them with long-term health issues.

The suffrage movement, like the country, was impelled by and tolerated racism, despite the leadership and participation of many Black women, including Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell and members of the Delta Sigma Alpha sorority. And after ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, voting rights were not evenly given. It would be decades before Black and Native American women achieved those rights. Still today, voter suppression and assaults against women’s basic rights remain a threat that disproportionately impact women of color.

The story is told at Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in Washington, DC.

Alice Paul said that the 19th Amendment vote was a means to an end and the real goal was equality. In 1923, Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment, and for the next 50 years, the NWP worked to overturn legal discrimination at the local, state, national and international levels.

Today, activists across the country and the globe are raising their voices, working to take the next leap forward for justice and equality for all.

Our foremothers from 100 years ago would no doubt be proud.

Onward!

08/25/2020
The ERA Project - Maureen Broy Papovich

You can still enjoy Maureen Broy Papoich's performance of selections from her new song cycle THE ERA PROJECT, written in honor of her grandmother’s work fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment. Written with composer Rain Nox, this is a beautiful and moving work that highlights stories from the women’s movement, the ERA’s history, and its current status.

08/24/2020
Susanna Rich presents Shout! Poetry for Suffrage

Did you miss Susanna Rich's performance this past weekend? You can enjoy now on the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument video page. This original poetry work crafts careful research into moving, first-person narratives.

We are very excited about this documentary! Registration is free but limited (see below for this evening's link) but the...
06/23/2020

We are very excited about this documentary! Registration is free but limited (see below for this evening's link) but there is a second opportunity next Monday, June 29, 6:30-8pm ET
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-experience-the-vote-screening-and-discussion-tickets-108869993080

"Women weren't given the vote. They took it."

Are you looking forward to the premiere of the American Experience | PBS series "The Vote" on July 6 and 7? You can get a sneak-peak tonight of a chapter about the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession and the demand for the . The film will be followed by a panel discussion with producers and scholars.

The event is free but registration is limited. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-experience-the-vote-screening-and-discussion-tickets-108860733384
📸Illustrated promotional picture of The Vote film. For more information about the series, visit: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/vote/

03/14/2020

Please note that Belmont-Paul will be closed to the public starting today, March 14. We will post updates as we receive them. Thanks for patience and stay safe!

We really appreciate the work Susan Philpott has done on the cartoons of the suffrage movement. Come by Belmont-Paul Wom...
03/07/2020

We really appreciate the work Susan Philpott has done on the cartoons of the suffrage movement. Come by Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument today for a special discussion at 3:00 pm.

Join the National Park Service and the National Woman's Party today March 7, 2020, for a Women's History Month Open House!

At 3:00 pm, Park Ranger Susan Philpott leads an interactive discussion of the use of images and cartoons in the woman suffrage movement. Examine the museum exhibits to discover whose stories are told—and who has been left out. After the conversation, you are invited to create your own cartoon or banner about an issue important to you. Family-friendly activity.

Image: Nina Allender, cartoonist for the National Woman's Party, 1916. The Library of Congress

Please just us and our friends Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument and America's National Parks bookstore at...
03/06/2020
Calendar - Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

Please just us and our friends Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument and America's National Parks bookstore at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument for a day of celebration honoring the accomplishments of women. Explore the museum exhibits, create your own ratification star, color a Suffrage Cat and more. No tickets or reservations required

10:00 a.m. - Thesis Presentation: Women Marching

A Comparison of the Women's Suffrage Parade of 1913 to the 2017 Women's Suffrage March Pertaining to Washington D.C." examines the ongoing evolution of women in politics and protests. Josilyn Lieb of Ohio Northern University will explore the origin, orchestration, and media coverage of both events.

3:00 p.m. - See Yourself Here: Representation in the Suffrage Movement

Join a park ranger for an interactive discussion of the use of images and cartoons in the woman suffrage movement. Examine the museum exhibits to discover whose stories are told—and who has been left out. After the conversation, you are invited to create your own cartoon or banner about an issue important to you. Family-friendly activity.

Check the calendar for more information as events will be added! https://www.nps.gov/bepa/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

In 2020, we’ll celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. We’ve come a long way but there’s much work yet to b...
12/31/2019

In 2020, we’ll celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. We’ve come a long way but there’s much work yet to be done. Support the NWP & this holiday season. today! nationalwomansparty.org/donate

This holiday season, support the NWP and our efforts to preserve artifacts from our decades-long fight for .  today! nat...
12/17/2019

This holiday season, support the NWP and our efforts to preserve artifacts from our decades-long fight for . today! nationalwomansparty.org/donate

The NWP is preserving our historic collection, like this banner used to protest, for future generations. So future  can ...
12/11/2019

The NWP is preserving our historic collection, like this banner used to protest, for future generations. So future can look back and see: the young have always been at the gates for . Support our work & today! http://ow.ly/7e0450xxAlt

This , support the NWP and our storied fight for gender . We need your help to preserve our artifacts from women’s suffr...
12/03/2019

This , support the NWP and our storied fight for gender . We need your help to preserve our artifacts from women’s suffrage to the fight for future generations.
Donate today! nationalwomansparty.org/donate

Join the Friends of Arlington Public Library and former Jeopardy! contestants for a night of fun and challenging trivia ...
10/02/2019
Women's History Trivia Night: Celebrating 100 Years of Women's Right to Vote | Friends of the Arlington Public Library

Join the Friends of Arlington Public Library and former Jeopardy! contestants for a night of fun and challenging trivia as we celebrate the 19th Amendment and women’s history. The top trivia teams will win prizes and all participants will learn a thing or two while enjoying friendly competition.

This special trivia event will be held on Friday October 18th from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St. Arlington, VA 22201.) Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Beer and wine will be available for purchase from the Ballston Business Improvement District. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres are included with ticket price.

All proceeds from this event benefit the Friends of the Arlington Public Library in their mission to support Arlington Public Libraries and strengthen literacy in the community.

For more info, please visit: https://arlingtonlibraryfriends.org/event/womens-work-celebrating-100-years-of-womens-right-to-vote/

Guests must be 21 or older.

09/17/2019

The National Woman’s Party mourns the loss of Cokie Roberts, pioneering journalist and champion of women's history. Her advice and support were invaluable to us. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.

Alice Paul unfurls ratification banner upon learning Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment. Happy...
08/26/2019

Alice Paul unfurls ratification banner upon learning Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment. Happy Women's Equality Day from the National Woman's Party! More work remains. Please donate now.

https://www.nationalwomansparty.org/

06/28/2019

Due to our ongoing A/C issues, Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument will be closed starting today (Friday, June 28) for an indefinite amount of time. Our Facilities team is working to address the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.

06/28/2019

Due to our ongoing A/C issues, Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument will be closed starting today (Friday, June 28) for an indefinite amount of time. Our Facilities team is working to address the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.

In preparation for its March 2020 Women’s Suffrage exhibition, the Staten Island Museum has digitized almost two full ru...
06/13/2019

In preparation for its March 2020 Women’s Suffrage exhibition, the Staten Island Museum has digitized almost two full runs of the Women’s Suffrage Periodicals, The Suffragist and The Woman Voter. The Staten Island Museum is deeply committed to celebrating the Suffrage Centennial. All of the digitized periodicals are now publicly available on the Internet Archive via the following link: https://archive.org/details/statenislandmuseum&tab=about

About the Staten Island Museum:
Founded in 1881, the Staten Island Museum, New York City’s only general interest museum, engages visitors with interdisciplinary exhibitions and educational programs that explore the dynamic connections between natural science, art and history based on its diverse collections. The Museum is dedicated to making its current and future collections broadly accessible for educators, students, researchers and the general public by providing authentic experiences in the field and at the Museum.

06/08/2019

We’re almost ready for the Race to Ratification 5k tomorrow! Come cheer on hundreds of runners at Congressional Cemetery as we mark the start of the 19th Amendment centennial commemoration.

Will you be joining us tomorrow for the Race to Ratification? Here is a copy of tomorrow’s route! See you at 9am!
06/08/2019

Will you be joining us tomorrow for the Race to Ratification? Here is a copy of tomorrow’s route! See you at 9am!

On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment clearing the way for women to vote. However, 3/4 of the states still needed to ratify the amendment for it to become the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. With the 1920 presidential election looming, it was imperative that states ratify quickly. The race was on!

The National Woman's Party, in collaboration with the National Park Service, is hosting a 5K race at Congressional Cemetery to commemorate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment between June 1919 and August 1920. A 3.1 mile timeline along the route tells the ratification story state by state and honors the courageous women and men across the US who led the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Although the suffragists were racing to ratification, you don't have run! Click here to register https://www.nps.gov/bepa/planyourvisit/r2r.htm

The course begins and ends at Congressional Cemetery and follows the north side of the Anacostia River.

If you have already registered, advance packet pickup is available on Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 2-5 pm at Pacers Running. 300 Tingey Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.

All proceeds from the event will support care, conservation, and access to the National Woman's Party Collection at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument.

Photos from Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument's post
06/04/2019

Photos from Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument's post

Photos from Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument's post
06/02/2019

Photos from Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument's post

05/21/2019

"All Down But One!"

May 21, 1919, the U.S. House of Representatives passes the Susan B. Anthony amendment by a vote of 304 to 89. This is 42 more votes than the amendment received in the House when it passed in January 1918, exceeding the required two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution. The amendment reads: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of s*x." Now it's on to the Senate!



Image: A Nina Allender cartoon in which a woman holds a bowling ball, the Suffrage Amendment, preparing to knock down the final pin, the Senate. The knocked down pins are the President, the House of Representatives, the Public, the Cabinet, and the press. National Woman's Party

On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment clearing the way for women to vote. However, 3/4 of the ...
05/20/2019

On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment clearing the way for women to vote. However, 3/4 of the states still needed to ratify the amendment for it to become the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. With the 1920 presidential election looming, it was imperative that states ratify quickly. The race was on!

The National Woman's Party, in collaboration with the National Park Service, is hosting a 5K race at Congressional Cemetery to commemorate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment between June 1919 and August 1920. A 3.1 mile timeline along the route tells the ratification story state by state and honors the courageous women and men across the US who led the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Although the suffragists were racing to ratification, you don't have run! Click here to register https://www.nps.gov/bepa/planyourvisit/r2r.htm

The course begins and ends at Congressional Cemetery and follows the north side of the Anacostia River.

If you have already registered, advance packet pickup is available on Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 2-5 pm at Pacers Running. 300 Tingey Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.

All proceeds from the event will support care, conservation, and access to the National Woman's Party Collection at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument.

05/04/2019

We assure you, we’re open!

Despite our current appearance, Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is opened during our normal hours and have our regular tour schedule. This work is part of an ongoing effort to stabilize and preserve the house and its history.

Funding for the preservation work was provided by National Park Foundation with a generous match by David M. Rubenstein.

Happy Anniversary Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument! We are so honored to partner with the National Park S...
04/12/2019

Happy Anniversary Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument! We are so honored to partner with the National Park Service on the Race to Ratification. Please support efforts to preserve the National Woman's Party collection by joining us on June 9, 2019. Find out more here: https://www.nps.gov/bepa/planyourvisit/r2r.htm

Exciting restoration work Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument!!
04/03/2019

Exciting restoration work Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument!!

Address

144 Constitution Avenue NE/Entrance On 2nd Street, NE
Washington D.C., DC
20002

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(202) 546-1210

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Comments

WHY is actress and activist Izetta Jewel's story such an important message for the rest of us today? And especially so today on International Women's Day?

Izetta Jewel truly was a trailblazer for all that came after her.

This widely circulated photo of Izetta with her young daughter, Izetta Junior, is more than just heartwarming. It tells a story of the times.

Widowed shortly before "June's" birth, Izetta not only had to fight for her right to inherit her late husband Congressman William Gay Brown junior wealth, but also for her parental rights. That's right, at the time, women were not awarded custody of their children as a matter of course.

Documentation of Izetta Jewel's remarkable life is housed in several locations, including the Efner History Center located in Schenectady City Hall; MiSci - Museum of Innovation & Science, Schenectady, Schenectady; Schaffer Library at Union College, Schenectady; West Virginia University in their West Virginia & Regional History Center; La Jolla Historical Society; National Woman's Party at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in Washington, District of Columbia; and in the Schlesinger Library | Radcliffe Institute | Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.

What is the right way to protest?

Many people mistakenly believe that the suffragists of the National Woman's Party chained themselves to the White House fence during their protests in 1917. The Silent Sentinels only stood at the gates holding their banners and were arrested for "obstructing traffic."

But women have used the tactic of locking themselves in place to get the nation's attention for their cause. In this photo from 1971, thirty-seven women have chained themselves to the fence of the Executive Office Building, next door to the White House, to protest the Vietnam War. "We're symbolically placing our bodies between the government and our children," said a spokesperson for the group. "The violence is not going to end until people like us are willing to commit themselves to much greater sacrifice." The protestors were not arrested; they ended the demonstration by evening.

Photo: Women chained to EOB fence, April 13, 1971. Marion S. Trikosko, photographer. Library of Congress
Happy Flag Day!

Suffragists often displayed American flags to show that their demand to vote was an act of patriotism. In this photo from the National Woman's Party collection, Carrie Chapman Catt not only carries a flag in a suffrage procession; she has one sewn onto her cape as well.
On this day in 1916, Alice Paul founded the National Woman's Party at a voting rights convention in Chicago. It was a single-issue party dedicated to enfranchising women through an amendment to the Constitution. Last year, the NWP merged with the Alice Paul Institute, which continues to advocate for women's rights.

Mrs. James Rector, Mary Dubrow, and Alice Paul of the National Woman's Party in June 1920, holding a banner that reads "No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her s*x. Susan B. Anthony, 1872." The Library of Congress
We love our volunteers! Listen to this story from Patty Pollitzer, whose great-aunt Anita was a member and important leader of the National Woman's Party.

Learn more about Patty's Aunt Anita: https://www.nps.gov/people/anita-pollitzer.htm
Several people in the entranceway of the Sewall-Belmont House at the National Historic Landmark Designation ceremony in 1975. Do you recognize the park ranger? National Woman's Party collection.
National Woman's Party's Headquarters at Alva Belmont House; Historical Landmark Dedication, 1975. Do you recognize the two men standing with NWP President Elizabeth Chittick?
National Woman's Party President Elizabeth Chittick stands next to the National Park Service podium as the designation is read.
Our post this morning about the dedication ceremonies for the National Woman's Party headquarters May 21, 1922 was missing an important photograph: the Old Brick Capitol itself! Here are National Woman's Party members and crowd gathered in front of the house during the dedication ceremony. The NWP named the new headquarters the "Alva E. Belmont House" in honor of their president. Alva Belmont was the primary benefactor of the work of the National Woman's Party in the fight for woman's suffrage and the ongoing struggle for women's equality. She purchased the huge 50+ room mansion, built in 1814, for the new headquarters.
Mrs. Oliver H. P. Belmont, who donated the headquarters of the National Woman's Party, speaking at the dedication ceremony, May 21, 1922 The Library of Congress
National Woman's Party members standing in line with banners during the dedication ceremonies for the Alva E. Belmont House, 1922. The Library of Congress
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