The Suffragettes

The Start of the Suffragettes
1. In 1897 the NUWSS (National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies) was formed by Millicent Fawcett.
  1. They believed in peaceful methods.
  2. They wrote letters, produced leaflets, used petitions and held peaceful demonstrations.
  3. They were sometimes called the Suffragists.
2. In 1903 Emmiline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia set up the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union)
  1. Its motto was 'Deeds, not Words'
  2. Soon became known as the Suffragettes.
  3. Believed that militant methods were the only way they would succeed.
Protest and Publicity 1906-1908
1. In 1906 the Liberal Party won the General Election- some MP's supported the vote for women.
2. The NUWSS ad the suffragettes gained publicity from protest.
  1. Leaflets were given out- the WSPU dropped them from airships.
  2. Both the WSPU and NUWSS held large demonstrations and protests.
3. The Liberals did not give the vote to women so the Suffragettes decided to change their tactics and become more militant.
How did the Suffragettes Protest?
1. Militant actions
2. WSPU destroyed property, set fire to letter boxes, poured acid on golf courses, chained themselves to the railings of Downing street and heckled politicians.
3. The Government banned WSPU from political meetings.
4. WSPU began breaking windows and refusing to pay fines so they were sent to prison.
5. Some Suffragettes went on hunger strike- the government did not want women to die in prison- they would become Martyrs.
6. The prison authorities began force-feeding the women. many WSPU prisoners suffered health problems as a result.
7. In 1910 Prime Minister Asquith produced a Conciliation Bill( a proposed law which would have given women the vote). The WSPU stopped their protests- but the liberals were worried women would vote for Conservatives so the bill was not made law.
8. The Suffragettes protested about the failure of the Conciliation Bill during an event known as Black Friday (November 1910). The police clashed with Suffragettes and many women were treated violently during Black Friday.
9. From 1911 the Suffragettes began to protest by window-breaking, attacking politicians like David Lloyd-George and setting fire to buildings.
10. In 1913 the government passed the Cat and Mouse Act. It allowed authorities to release a hunger striker before they became ill. They were then re-arrested when they were fit enough. this showed the government using laws to stop the protest. Posters like the one above were made to protest against the Liberal government.
Suffragettes and the media- the death of Emily Davison
1. At the 1913 Derby horse race, Suffragette Emily Davidson tried to stop the kings horse as a protest
  1. She was hit by the horse and later died
2. At first the media and the the general public were angry at this pointless death
3. Newspapers like The Times were read and run by men and were biased against the Suffragettes.
4. The WSPU organised 2 massive funerals for her.
  1. One was in London the other was in her hometown of Morpeth
  2. They made her a Martyr
5. The Suffragettes managed to achieve massive media interest even though there was only a small number of women involved.
  1. Women breaking the law was dramatic and shocking.
  2. Newspapers themselves had strong opinions about womens suffarage.
6. Some newspapers did support the Suffragettes especially when they werent violent.
  1. The Daily Mirror was sympathetic towards women during Black Friday.
7. The Magazine Punch supported the Suffragettes unlike most newspapers who were against them.
  1. Although most media coverage was negative they were still getting lots of publicity which helped their cause.
Suffragettes- end of the campaign
1. In 1918 the Respresentation of the People Act gave the vote to women over 30. By 1928 all women over 21 had the vote.
  1. The Suffragettes stopped their protests when WW1 began
    1. They helped with the war effort and women did mens jobs in factories.
  2. Sylvia Pankhurst strongly opposed the war
    1. She had left the Suffragettes in 1913.
    2. She formed the East London Federation for working-class women
  3. After WW1 women got the vote becuase the government did not want to see a return to Suffragette protest.
    1. Also many other countries around the world had already given women the vote.

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The Suffragettes

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