Research Assignment: Inez Milholland (Research Paper Sample)

First name Last name Name of the instructor Course name 28 Nov 2022 Research Assignment: Inez Milholland Introduction/Biography Inez Milholland was commonly referred to as a beautiful suffragette. She was one of the activists from Brooklyn, New York, born in 1886. Her father, John Milholland, was an activist against racism. Inez's family was progressive and wealthy, shaping whom she became. Vida, her sister, was also a women's rights activist. Inez considered herself a free thinker and advocate of love, and she lived in both London and New York while attending college at Vassar in New York. She has been actively involved in sports, including being a hockey team member and breaking records for the field and track team while maintaining high grades in classes (Leslie 2019, p.12). Her involvement in activism started to show during a trip to London at college. She marched alongside Emmeline Pankhurst, Britain's Women Political and Social Union leader. When she returned to Vassar, she wrote a paper about her time With Emmeline and that the suffrage movement in the US lacked leadership and energy. Inez's three significant impacts in the US include advocating for changes in laws and policies, including voting rights, stopping mistreatment of women in workplaces, and participating in preventing wars. Three Major Impacts by Inez Milholland in America After she graduated from college, Inez led people in expressing her thoughts in favor of voting rights. She interrupted President Taft's campaign parade. She yelled from a building window and used a megaphone to cry, "Votes for Women!" (Leslie 12). After many protests, the 19th Amendment was made, which guaranteed American women the right to vote. The road to achieving this milestone was a difficult struggle and lengthy, which took years of protests and agitation. From the mid-19th century, a generation of women suffrage supporters lobbied, lectured, marched, and conducted civil disobedience to attain what most Americans viewed as radical constitutional changes. Few supporters lived to see those amendments, and Inez Milholland was not one of them. In the 1800s, women picketed up and petitioned for the right to vote; however, it took ages for them to accomplish their aim. From 1878 after the Amendment was first introduced into Congress, it was ratified in 1920 as the supporters of women's voting rights worked tirelessly; however, their approaches to attaining the goal differed. Some activists passed the suffrage policies in every state, with nine western states passing the suffrage legislature by 1912. Others challenged the male-only polling regulations, while others used aggressive strategies, including hunger strikes, silent vigils, and picketing. Most of the time, the supporters were faced with resistance. They were jailed, mocked, and, in some cases, physically abused. Inez was keen on advocating for court systems and law enforcement reforms. Some of the laws disadvantage young people from working in the formal sectors. Inez did more than speak on behalf of the disenfranchised Americans but also tried to improve their lives. After clearing her education, she was on the frontline, speaking to public officials and judges and advocating for policy changes. She addressed various issues, including labor reforms to push for better hours and wages for the women who worked at various departments in New York and factories. Milholland was also an advocate against capital punishment. During her activist work, Inez engaged with the people in power to recognize humanity without discriminating against gender and class (Kroeger 4). Milholland tried to convince the elected officials, business owners, lawyers, and judges to see that the minds and hearts of those sidelined in the country mattered, like those who were influential. Despite her hard work and not losing hope, she died before she witnessed the reform made on voting rights that permitted women and other marginalized people to vote. Milholland also organized a strike to protest the mistreatment of women in the workplace. The strike was termed the "Uprising of the 20,000"(Kroeger 5). The protesters demanded better hours, working conditions, and high wages, leading to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company laying off those who were part of the union. Milholland participated in watching the picket lines and ensuring that law enforcement never violated the picket's rights. Milholland was arrested numerous times during the strike for her involvement in the picket. By February, the firm owners and the workers agreed on a settlement. Other activists during that time were more recognized than Milholland and received more credit, including Alice Paul. Even though Milholland participated in the organization of the event same, like Paul, she was barely mentioned. Leslie (35) Milholland was later recognized as a martyr of women's suffrage. Milholland deserved more credit as he led the parade and was a brave and loud woman. During the early 20th century, most women in the US were working in the confinement of their homes, and those who did were unmarried and young. Only 20 percent of the women were formally employed, with only 5 percent being married women. Hence the activists brought many changes to the labor force to include more women with better conditions. At one point, Milholland was a reporter and wrote many articles about stopping the world war. After the historic march in Washingt...