National Woman's Party

Deed to the National Woman's Party headquarters from Alva Belmont

NPS

 

The National Woman's Party: Fighting for Equality Since 1913

The National Woman’s Party (NWP) used the house at Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument as its headquarters beginning in 1929. Together, the National Woman’s Party and Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument collaborated to share the stories of the party’s founder, Alice Paul, its primary benefactor Alva Belmont, and the many others involved in the fight for women’s suffrage.

In this headquarters, the National Woman's Party continued the fight for women's social, political, and economic equality beyond the vote. For more than 75 years, the NWP lobbied for legislation, supported women running for office, worked for international rights for women, and fought for the passage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The organization ceased its political activism when it became an educational nonprofit in 1997. In addition to their work on the exhibits at Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, the National Woman’s Party produced and shared educational resources related to the legacy of the NWP. The National Woman’s Party also hosted art performances and panel discussions with women's history scholars and artists. Together, the National Woman’s Party and the National Park Service use the historic Belmont-Paul home to engage the public with women's history, spark important discussions about equality, and inspire all who visit.

Preserving the Legacy

The partnership between the National Woman’s Party and the National Park Service ensured the care and preservation of thousands of collection items that document the founding of the Party, the history of the suffrage movement, the fight for the Nineteenth Amendment, and the ongoing struggle for women’s equality. Many of these collection pieces are on display at the Belmont-Paul museum in public exhibits planned by both the National Woman’s Party and the National Park Service. The preservation of these items ensures that the stories they hold will be remembered for generations to come.

In October 2020, the National Woman's Party announced the gift of its historic collection spanning woman suffrage and the movement for women’s equality to the Library of Congress and National Park Service. This gift ensures public access to a trove of records about the history of the women’s rights movement in the United States. The National Park Service received the NWP’s textiles, banners, furniture, paintings, sculpture and other artifacts. Notable examples include the banners held by women picketing the White House for suffrage; an original “Jailed for Freedom Pin” that Alice Paul gave to NWP members who served time in jail; keys to the District of Columbia jail where picketing suffragists were incarcerated; and Susan B. Anthony’s desk.

Forward Into Light

The National Woman’s Party (NWP) and the Alice Paul Institute (API) announced at the end of 2020 that they will unify their organizations. Connected through the legacy of civil rights activist and suffragist Alice Paul, both non-profits share a dedication to the preservation and celebration of the history of women’s suffrage, and the continued fight for constitutionally protected equal rights for all.

 

The Alice Paul Institute (API) educates the public about the life and work of leading equal rights activist Alice Stokes Paul (1885-1977). Alice Paul was a force in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which extended voting rights to women. She is the founder of the National Woman’s Party, and author of the Equal Rights Amendment which, when ratified, will give legal and lasting equal protections to both women and men. API is a nationally recognized non-profit organization headquartered at Paulsdale, a National Historic Landmark marking the birthplace of Alice Paul. API offers leadership development workshops for teen girls, and civic engagement programs for women and men of all ages that connect history to contemporary events and issues. The Alice Paul Institute is dedicated to continuing Alice Paul’s work toward securing lasting and legally protected equal rights for all.