1916 Democratic National Convention

The 1916 Democratic National Convention was held at the St. Louis Coliseum in St. Louis, Missouri from June 14 to June 16, 1916. It resulted in the nomination of President Woodrow Wilson and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall for reelection.

Demonstrations
Women's suffrage activists in Missouri staged a demonstration for the convention. Suffragists Emily Newell Blair and Edna Gellhorn came up with the idea and organized a "walkless, talkless parade," also called the "Golden Lane." Around 3,000 suffragists lined twelve blocks of Locust Street in St. Louis, wearing white dresses, "votes for women" sashes and holding yellow umbrellas. Democratic delegates had to walk past the suffragists to reach the convention hall. The demonstration was meant to represent how women were silenced by not being allowed to vote and received national attention in the press. The Democratic delegates did decide to support women's suffrage on a state by state basis.