Mabel Vernon was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on 19th September, 1883. A Quaker and strong supporter of women's rights, Vernon was a member of the American Woman Suffrage Association. A member of the militant wing of the organization, Vernon wanted to introduce the methods used by the Women's Social and Political Union in Britain. Eventually Vernon joined with Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, Inez Milholland, Olympia Brown and Crystal Eastman to form the Congressional Union for Women Suffrage (CUWS). She helped to organize huge demonstrations and the daily picketing of the White House. This resulted in her being imprisoned and enduring hunger strikes. Vernon died on 2nd September, 1975.