The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: TomSea on March 08, 2019, 04:11:05 pm
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For International Women's Day, here are 7 of history's greatest women-led protests
Perspective by Gillian Brockell / The Washington Post
International Women's Day has been around for more than a century, but it has picked up steam in recent years, thanks to its preeminent hashtagability. What started as socialist demonstrations has now evolved into an official holiday in more than two dozen countries, a United Nations day for women's rights and world peace, and, well, a marketing opportunity for Barbie dolls, cosmetics and beer (because capitalism).
In honor of the holiday's more egalitarian roots, here are some regular women in history who gathered together to protest, rebel and, in some cases, riot.
The Edenton Tea Party (North Carolina)
You have probably heard of the Boston Tea Party, when American colonists dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest a royal tax. But did you know there was a women-led tea party a few months later? On Oct. 25, 1774, Penelope Barker organized 50 women to join her in protesting the Tea Act in Edenton, North Carolina. Their "tea party" probably didn't involve more than signing a strongly worded letter and vowing to stop drinking tea, but that was apparently enough to create a stir in England. In fact, the only contemporaneous records of the event that remain are from the British dissing it, including the above satirical drawing depicting the women pretty crudely.
The Women's March on Versailles (France)
At the start of the French Revolution - post-Bastille storming but long before all those heads started to roll - French women had a moment. Angry about the high price and lack of bread in the markets, they began to riot, storming the armory for weapons and, with revolutionary men joining them, marching on the palace at Versailles. They arrived at dawn on Oct. 6, 1789, invaded King Louis XVI's bedroom and "accompanied" him, against his will, back to Paris. And that was it for an independent French monarchy.
Read more at: https://www.journalnow.com/news/trending/for-international-women-s-day-here-are-of-history-s/article_6000bfdf-eef6-5102-aab5-04ce5cbc845a.html (https://www.journalnow.com/news/trending/for-international-women-s-day-here-are-of-history-s/article_6000bfdf-eef6-5102-aab5-04ce5cbc845a.html)
I've seen this mentioned in a few places. Women's Day, March 8th.