Lucy Burns - National American Women Suffrage Association

National American Women Suffrage Association

Upon returning to the United States, Paul and Burns joined the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) as leaders of its Congressional Committee. Both women felt it was critical to hold the political party in power responsible for a federal suffrage amendment. By holding an entire party accountable, Paul and Burns believed that congressmen would be forced to take action or risk losing their seats. This militant tactic was presented by Paul and Burns at the 1912 NAWSA convention in Philadelphia to Anna Howard Shaw and other NAWSA leaders. NAWSA leaders rejected their proposal because they felt any action against the Democratic Party, which had just won the presidential election, was premature at that point. Not willing to back down without a fight, Burns and Paul enlisted the help of Jane Addams, a well-respected and more unorthodox NAWSA leader, to petition their cause to her fellow NAWSA leaders. While the women were forced to tone down their proposal, NAWSA leaders did authorize a suffrage parade during Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. NAWSA’s one stipulation was that Paul and Burns’ Congressional Committee would receive no further funding from NAWSA. While Burns and Paul readily agreed to this stipulation, this event marked the beginning of their divide with NAWSA.