Pankhurst’s Proxy Protest: Suffragettes’ Symbolic Stand in NYC

On a chilly October 18, 1913, a contingent of determined suffragettes, led by the indomitable Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, staged a symbolic protest on the La Provence, a revenue tugboat docked at the New York City waterfront. The event, which was initially scheduled to take place on the previous evening, was postponed until the early hours of the next morning, with Mrs. Pankhurst facing off against U.S. officials in a tense confrontation. As she stood resolute on the vessel, a sea of determined women, including Mary Kenny and Miss Elsa Mitzelle, flanked her, proudly displaying a striking pin – a miniature tepee with an arrow and a barred window, emblazoned on a small shield.