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Why did US suffragists march just before a presidential inauguration?

On March 3, 1913, suffragists used Washington’s inaugural route to draw attention to women’s exclusion from political power. The choice of place and timing made the demonstration’s argument visible. Yet Black women had to contest exclusion within the procession itself, complicating any account of a movement speaking with one voice.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How did the route communicate the demand?
  • Whose experience changes the story told by the parade’s official image?

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