ABSTRACT
By the spring of 1913, Alice Paul was finally on her own, and she knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish. National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) had handed over the Congressional Committee to her and had okayed a suffrage parade to take place in Washington, DC. Paul explained what she wanted and why. She wanted Congress to pass a federal amendment and she wanted the states to ratify it. Paul was not immune to criticisms and attacks on herself and her organization. The African-American issue was a perfect example of Paul's refusal to allow any other issue to compete with suffrage as a focus and goal. At her core she believed that women had to participate fully in the democratic process if they were to be considered equals in a so-called democratic society and achieve true equality as human beings.
