Suffrage watchfires were initiated by suffragists in Washington, D.C., who burned copies of President Wilson’s speeches in front of the White House starting in early January 1919. Members of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) adopted this technique in Boston on February 24, 1919. This event followed the arrest of NWP members who were picketing President Wilson in front of the Massachusetts State House earlier that morning. In a bold demonstration at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common, suffragists burned papers symbolizing Wilson’s speech and delivered their own speeches. The police arrested three women at this event, taking them to jail to join those who had been arrested at the State House. These watchfires were a significant part of the suffragist movement, showcasing the determination and resilience of women fighting for their right to vote. The nineteen suffragists arrested on February 24, 1919, were charged with loitering or, in the case of the women arrested at the watchfire, for speaking on the Common without a permit. One very young woman had her case continued and later dismissed, and one was acquitted. The rest were convicted and given the choice of paying a five-dollar fine or spending eight days in jail. Four women paid the fine, but the remaining thirteen refused and were taken to the Charles Street jail to serve their sentences.
