movie assignment for class 1

Iron Jawed Angels  movie you can find it online

This film is based on the true story of Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party’s activities during the push for women’s suffrage.  One of the striking things about this film is the depiction of violence culminating in the forced feeding of the imprisoned activists – all of which actually happened.  Before viewing this film, what had you learned about the Woman’s Suffrage movement?  How does this depiction compare with what you have been exposed to previously?  Lastly, some people argue that there is no way that one can consider the United States to be a democracy before women had the right to vote.  They say at best it was an oligarchy – governed by a minority of the population since a majority of the population was kept from voting (women comprised half of the population and add to that the vast majority of African American men who were prohibited from voting by an array of laws). Was the United States a democracy before Women’s suffrage?  Explain.