"Silent Sentinel" Pin (Amelia Himes Walker)

Object Details

associated institution

National Woman's Party

Walker, Amelia Himes

Description

Women who participated in suffrage picketing received "Silent Sentinel" pins to honor their service. The small silver banners are engraved, "Without Extinction is Liberty." The reverse is engraved, "For service in the cause of the freedom of women Presented by the National Woman’s Party." The phrase "Without Extinction is Liberty" is drawn from a Walt Whitman poem, "By Blue Ontario’s Shore":

"Without extinction is Liberty, without retrograde is Equality,

They live in the feelings of young men and the best women,

(Not for nothing have the indomitable heads of the earth been

always ready to fall for Liberty.)"

In January 1917, discouraged by President Wilson’s continued opposition to the suffrage amendment, Alice Paul, the leader of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) posted pickets at the White House gates—the first people to ever picket the White House. These “silent sentinels” stayed on duty in all weather and in the face of threats, taunts, and physical violence. Using their banners and their quiet courage they asked, "Mr. President How Long Must Women Wait for their Liberty?" and "Mr. President What Will you do for Woman Suffrage?" Hoping to provoke a response, the language on the banners became more inflammatory. They used the president’s own words against him and pointed out the hypocrisy of his leading the country into the First World War to defend freedom while denying it to the women of his own country. Crowds who believed the pickets’ activities were disloyal in a time of war attacked the suffragists and destroyed their banners. In July the police began arresting the pickets for "obstruction of traffic." When they refused to pay fines they were imprisoned. When they went on hunger strikes to demand the rights of political prisoners they were forcibly fed—a painful and invasive procedure. The pickets continued despite the risk. This pin was given to Amelia Himes Walker, a long time women’s rights activist. Walker was arrested on July 14, 1917 and served 60 days in the Occoquan Workhouse. Reports of the long sentences, abuse, and the courage of the suffragists became public and all prisoners were released in November.

Credit Line

Amelia Himes Walker

ID Number

PL.229385.02

catalog number

229385.02

accession number

229385

Object Name

pin

Physical Description

silver, sterling (overall material)

Exhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition Location

National Museum of American History

National Museum of American History

subject

Women's Suffrage

History, Women's

Women's Rights

Record ID

nmah_516352

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-4163-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa