A Reflection on Katja Von Garnier's Movie Iron Jawed Angels

The movie Iron Jawed Angles was set between 1912 and 1920 and this time period was nearing the end of the women’s suffrage movement. In 1916 the NWP lead by Alice Paul broke from NAWSA, and was more aggressive in its actions. In 1917 the US went to war and throughout the year of 1917 suffragists were jailed. They were finally released in 1918, and the suffrage amendment was passed up to senate where it was denied by only two votes. And on August 18th 1920 the 19th amendment was ratified.

The women’s suffrage movement affected many existing social issues, and unearthed new ones. There was still much social injustice with blacks and women; even among each other, black women were rarely accepted by white women. This is evident when Alice Paul told Ida B. Wells she and other African American women must march at the back of the parade; Wells demanded to walk next to her white sisters or not at all. When Wells walks up next to Paul it is obvious she wanted her to but couldn’t condone it, because it was socially unacceptable. The war was also a major factor in social changes during this time. People seemed to gain a huge sense of patriotism, and change their preexisting views or strengthen them. Some who were for suffrage abandoned it, and those opposed became more violent with their opposition.

The government was in a constant stalemate throughout this time period, being pushed from all directions. The political parties also had greatly different platforms. Teddy Roosevelt adopted women’s suffrage when he ran for his third term in 1913; but Woodrow Wilson ran opposed to it, although when quoted by Paul it seem like he was for equal rights of all mankind. The war was a large factor governmentally as well. The president had to suppress the suffrage movement to keep people behind the war. It was considered treason to protest a war time president, and such actions lead the illegitimate arrests of the suffragists, this after the fact seemed to cause more trouble than it was worth. The war really just added more problems to the political disarray at the time.

Cultural differences in the movie were most evident between older and younger women. The biggest cultural change was the formation of the NWP from the NAWSA; their beliefs were obviously different with the NWP being more aggressive than the NAWSA. Their beliefs also showed in where they sought change, the older women, the NAWSA sought change on a state level, while the NWP, younger women, chose to lobby for federal change. The way they dressed was another very evident change. The older women dressed more conservative, where the younger women seemed to dress more flamboyantly in flashier clothes.

This movie by far is now one of my favorites, entertaining yet very informative. One thing I learned and was truly appalled by is the cruelty in US prisons. I had no idea that for one there were working prisons still at that time and farther more how horrifically bad the people were treated in them. Another thing I was surprised about was the extreme patriotism that was brought up by the war. All issues were pushed aside and full focus on the war, and how much hatred there was to those who continued to protest. But what I think is the most valuable thing I learned from this whole movie was how big of a part the NWP played in passing the amendment. If it wasn’t for their constant push and aggressive attitude the amendment might not have been past for years after, it is truly amazing how hard they pushed to reach their goal.