the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage. Its original
purpose was to support the work of the Congressional Committee of the
National American Woman Suffrage Association and its officers were the
members of that committee: Miss Alice Paul (N. J.); Miss Crystal
Eastman (Wis.); Miss Lucy Burns (N. Y.); Mrs. Lawrence Lewis (Penn.);
Mrs. Mary Beard (N. Y.). In successive years names added to its
executive committee were those of Mesdames Oliver H. P. Belmont,
William Kent, Gilson Gardner, Donald R. Hooker, John Winters Brannan,
Harriot Stanton Blatch, Florence Bayard Hilles, J. A. H. Hopkins,
Thomas N. Hepburn, Richard Wainwright; Miss Elsie Hill, Miss Anne
Martin and others. A large advisory committee was formed.

The object of the Union was the same as that of the National
Association--to secure an amendment to the Federal Constitution which
would give universal woman suffrage. At the annual convention of the
association in December, 1913, a new Congressional Committee was
appointed and the Congressional Union became an independent
organization. Its headquarters were in Washington, D. C. It never was
regularly organized by States, districts, etc., although there were
branches in various States. The work was centralized in the Washington
headquarters and the forces were easily mobilized. The exact
membership probably was never known by anybody. It was a small but
very active organization and Miss Paul was the supreme head with no
restrictions. A great deal of initiative was allowed to the workers in
other parts of the country who were often governed by the exigencies
of the situation. After the first few years annual conventions were
held in Washington.

While the principal object of the National Association always was a
Federal Amendment, for which it worked unceasingly, it realized that
Congress would not submit one until a number of States had made the
experiment and their enfranchised women could bring political pressure
to bear on the members. Therefore the association campaigned in the
States for amendments to their constitutions. The Union did no work of
this kind but when it was organized nine States had granted full
suffrage to women, the time was ripe for a big "drive" for a Federal
Amendment and it could utilize this tremendous backing. Within the
next five years six more States were added to the list, including the
powerful one of New York. In addition the National Association,
cooperating with the women in