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Alexandria to Honor Suffragists Tortured at Occoquan Workhouse
Alexandria to Honor Suffragists Tortured at Occoquan Workhouse
Landmark Suffragist Court Case was Decided in Alexandria
Thursday, Aug. 26 9-9:30 a.m.
Corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets
RSVP online through this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/quiet-sentinels-historic-marker-dedication-tickets-166454575115
The Office of Historic Alexandria and Alexandria Celebrates Women will dedicate a historic marker to recognize the women who bravely endured imprisonment and brutality in their efforts to gain the vote for all American women.
The tabletop marker – designated as part of the Alexandria Heritage Trail – was recently installed near the intersection of Prince and South Saint Asaph Streets in Old Town Alexandria. The site housed the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the early 20th century. The third-floor courtroom was located in the old Customs House, which stood on the corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets. The formal dedication will be held outdoors with a reception and the inaugural guided tour of the new Alexandria Women’s History Walk to immediately follow.
The marker reads:
Suffragist Prisoners at Occoquan: In November 1917, 32 suffragists were arrested in Washington, D.C. for allegedly “blocking traffic” on a Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk. They were sent to the District of Columbia workhouse at nearby Occoquan, Virginia. The women were subjected to undue hardships and torture, resulting in the infamous November 14, 1917 “Night of Terror.” A number of women prisoners were threatened, beaten and hurled against walls and floors. A few days later, force feedings began. The suffragist prisoners were eventually freed from Occoquan following a hearing in Alexandria’s federal courthouse.
ABOUT THIS EVENT: In 1917, the “Quiet Sentinels,” 32 suffragists peacefully picketing for women’s enfranchisement, were arrested in the District of Columbia on a charge of "blocking the sidewalk" and sent to the Occoquan Workhouse. On November 14, 1917, the suffragists endured the infamous “Night of Terror,” when many female prisoners were beaten and tortured.
The City of Alexandria, Virginia was, and remains, the location of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; and was the site of the historic federal hearing on November 27, 1917, regarding the brutal treatment of suffragist prisoners held at the Occoquan Workhouse; and where their release from Occoquan was ordered.
In 1917, the Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia was housed in the United States Customs House, located at the corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets. It was razed in 1930.
{snip}
Landmark Suffragist Court Case was Decided in Alexandria
Thursday, Aug. 26 9-9:30 a.m.
Corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets
RSVP online through this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/quiet-sentinels-historic-marker-dedication-tickets-166454575115
The Office of Historic Alexandria and Alexandria Celebrates Women will dedicate a historic marker to recognize the women who bravely endured imprisonment and brutality in their efforts to gain the vote for all American women.
The tabletop marker – designated as part of the Alexandria Heritage Trail – was recently installed near the intersection of Prince and South Saint Asaph Streets in Old Town Alexandria. The site housed the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the early 20th century. The third-floor courtroom was located in the old Customs House, which stood on the corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets. The formal dedication will be held outdoors with a reception and the inaugural guided tour of the new Alexandria Women’s History Walk to immediately follow.
The marker reads:
Suffragist Prisoners at Occoquan: In November 1917, 32 suffragists were arrested in Washington, D.C. for allegedly “blocking traffic” on a Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk. They were sent to the District of Columbia workhouse at nearby Occoquan, Virginia. The women were subjected to undue hardships and torture, resulting in the infamous November 14, 1917 “Night of Terror.” A number of women prisoners were threatened, beaten and hurled against walls and floors. A few days later, force feedings began. The suffragist prisoners were eventually freed from Occoquan following a hearing in Alexandria’s federal courthouse.
ABOUT THIS EVENT: In 1917, the “Quiet Sentinels,” 32 suffragists peacefully picketing for women’s enfranchisement, were arrested in the District of Columbia on a charge of "blocking the sidewalk" and sent to the Occoquan Workhouse. On November 14, 1917, the suffragists endured the infamous “Night of Terror,” when many female prisoners were beaten and tortured.
The City of Alexandria, Virginia was, and remains, the location of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; and was the site of the historic federal hearing on November 27, 1917, regarding the brutal treatment of suffragist prisoners held at the Occoquan Workhouse; and where their release from Occoquan was ordered.
In 1917, the Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia was housed in the United States Customs House, located at the corner of South Saint Asaph and Prince Streets. It was razed in 1930.
{snip}
2 replies
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Alexandria Celebrates Women: Suffragists struggle against brutality in fight for voting rights
August 19, 2021
Suffragists in front of the White House, 1917. (Photo/Library of Congress)
By Gayle Converse and Pat Miller
When American suffragists were arrested outside the White House 104 years ago and sentenced for imprisonment in nearby Occoquan, little could they know of the savage treatment that awaited them.
{snip}
Even though many American women had stepped up to fill deployed men’s jobs during World War I and most suffragist protests were peaceful, some American citizens began viewing the “Silent Sentinels” as unpatriotic. The suffragists had also become a nuisance to President Woodrow Wilson, who had been reelected the year before and who objected to the 19th Amendment. Wilson had written to his daughter the previous summer to claim the suffragists “seem bent on making their cause as obnoxious as possible.”
Police began arresting suffragists for “obstructing traffic.” When the first wave of arrests began, the women were promptly liberated. This system was short-lived. Judges began to order prison sentences, but jail time didn’t stop these women. Upon release, most suffragists returned to their quiet picket lines. ... The traffic obstruction charge was used in mid-November 1917, when 32 suffragists were arrested in front of the White House. Many were over the age of 60. They were ordered to be imprisoned at the District of Columbia (Occoquan) Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia. ... Along with unwashed bedding, putrid food and fetid water, the women were subjected to undue hardships and torture, resulting in the infamous Nov. 14, 1917 “Night of Terror.”
{snip}
Bruised and broken, the suffragist prisoners were brought to Alexandria on Nov. 27, 1917 for a hearing at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Judge Edmund Waddill, Jr., agreeing the women’s treatment had been unduly harsh, ordered the release of the suffragists from Occoquan.
{snip}
August 19, 2021
Suffragists in front of the White House, 1917. (Photo/Library of Congress)
By Gayle Converse and Pat Miller
When American suffragists were arrested outside the White House 104 years ago and sentenced for imprisonment in nearby Occoquan, little could they know of the savage treatment that awaited them.
{snip}
Even though many American women had stepped up to fill deployed men’s jobs during World War I and most suffragist protests were peaceful, some American citizens began viewing the “Silent Sentinels” as unpatriotic. The suffragists had also become a nuisance to President Woodrow Wilson, who had been reelected the year before and who objected to the 19th Amendment. Wilson had written to his daughter the previous summer to claim the suffragists “seem bent on making their cause as obnoxious as possible.”
Police began arresting suffragists for “obstructing traffic.” When the first wave of arrests began, the women were promptly liberated. This system was short-lived. Judges began to order prison sentences, but jail time didn’t stop these women. Upon release, most suffragists returned to their quiet picket lines. ... The traffic obstruction charge was used in mid-November 1917, when 32 suffragists were arrested in front of the White House. Many were over the age of 60. They were ordered to be imprisoned at the District of Columbia (Occoquan) Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia. ... Along with unwashed bedding, putrid food and fetid water, the women were subjected to undue hardships and torture, resulting in the infamous Nov. 14, 1917 “Night of Terror.”
{snip}
Bruised and broken, the suffragist prisoners were brought to Alexandria on Nov. 27, 1917 for a hearing at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Judge Edmund Waddill, Jr., agreeing the women’s treatment had been unduly harsh, ordered the release of the suffragists from Occoquan.
{snip}