Beth and I both feel it's important for you to not only know about some of the general aspects of the suffrage movement but the women who participated--and often were persecuted for their work in the suffrage movement. Enter Edith Ainge from the state of New York:
Happy Birthday Edith Ainge!
Edith Ainge (1878-1947) was one of the Silent Sentinels who picketed the White House by holding banners of protest outside the White House. She was among the first women arrested for this action and in all, was imprisoned five times during the last few years of the suffrage struggle.
I honestly don't know how the women endured the conditions of the Occoquan Workhouse where the women were imprisoned. Imagine rodent infested cells and your food full of mealy worms. Perhaps worse of all, you had to drink water from one cup shared by all the inmates, including those with tuberculosis--one of the most deadly and contagious diseases of that time period.
If all this wasn't enough, Ainge was among the women who were beaten and tortured during the Night of Terror in November of 1917.
What amazes me is that women like Edith continued to fight for their rights and ours. Thank you Edith!
Thank you indeed.
ReplyDelete