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INEZ MILHOLLAND BOISSEVAIN - Short Bio

Inez Milholland was born in Brooklyn, New York on 6th August, 1886. She attended Vassar and was suspended after organizing a women's suffrage meeting in a cemetery.

In 1913 Milholland led the women's suffrage demonstration in Washington on a white horse. Wearing white robes, the photograph of Milholland during the parade became one of the most memorable images of the struggle for women's rights in America.

Milholland lived in Greenwich Village and was associated with a group of socialists involved in the production of The Masses journal. This included Max Eastman, John Reed, Crystal Eastman, Inez Milholland, Louis Untermeyer, Randolf Bourne, Dorothy Day, Mabel Dodge, Floyd Dell and Louise Bryant.

Like most of the people involved with The Masses, Milholland was opposed to America's involvement in the First World War. In December, 1915, Milholland and other pacifists travelled on Henry Ford's Peace Ship to Europe.

On her return to the United States she became one of the leaders of the Congressional Union for Women Suffrage. The movement's most popular orator, Milholland was in demand as a speaker at public meetings all over the United States. Milholland, who suffered from pernicious anemia, and was warned by her doctor of the dangers of vigorous campaigning. However, she refused to heed this advice and on 22nd October, 1916, she collapsed in the middle of a speech in Los Angeles. She was rushed to hospital but despite repeated blood transfusions she died on 25th November, 1916.