Britain Issue 3

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Like men, women’s social and economic status was changed by the industrial revolution. This led to increased demands for political rights, but progress for many women was frustratingly slow.

Question 2

LOA (IF WAR IS ISOLATED FACTOR)

Answer 2

The war was a catalyst for change in the British society which led to more modern and equal views on women, which largely led to women gaining the vote in 1918.

Question 3

Factors

Answer 3

Changing attitudes, WSPU and NUWSS, other countries & WW1

Question 4

WW1 (KU and A)

Answer 4

KU- 2 days after the war broke out NUWSS suspended its political campaigns.
A- People saw women doing their bit which led them to gaining respect and balanced earlier negative publicity

KU- Over 700,000 women began working in munitions and towards the war effort
A- Without women munitions would not have been able to keep up with war demands

Question 5

WW1 (A+ and E)

Answer 5

A+- Limits because only women 30+ got the vote which largely missed out on the working women who made a difference in the war

E- WW1 was a catalyst for change and allowed people to realise that women were just as capable as men in making decisions and working

Question 6

Changing Attitudes (KU and A)

Answer 6

KU- Women became increasingly active in public affaires eg. town councils and board of guardians
A- Previously women were seen as only partaking in less significant things such as philanthropy and supervising servants

KU- 1882 Married Women’s Property Act showed legal development which suggests more trust was given to women as they now had rights over their property
A- Previously when a women married her independent legal existence ended, and now this had been changed

Question 7

Changing Attitudes (A+ and E)

Answer 7

A+- Limits because maybe the changing of attitudes was due to the war as women had to take over more significant roles in society

E- Less significant because the war allowed women to take on more significant tasks, replacing the men which led to the changing of attitudes

Question 8

WSPU and NUWSS (KU and A)

Answer 8

KU- The NUWSS was a female pressure group who believed that peaceful and intelligent ways would get them the vote for women, e.g. pass petitions and parliamentary bills
A- Put pressure on MPs to discuss the issue

KU- WSPU was another female pressure group who believed that a more direct approach was needed as the NUWSS had not reached many victories so they began a strategy of violent protests e.g. acid in letterboxes
A- This strategy gained publicity which was the aim of the WSPU, to make the issue of the vote for women an issue that could not be ignored

Question 9

WSPU and NUWSS (A+ and E)

Answer 9

A+- Limits because it divided public opinion and gave people an example of ‘why women should not be trusted to vote.”

E- Less significant because the pressure only caused the government to talk about the issue whereas WW1 made the government believe in the issue

Question 10

Other Countries (KU and A)

Answer 10

KU- Women were able to vote in other countries in the British Empire e.g. New Zealand
A- Gave Britain a bad reputation of being less progressive in comparison

Question 11

Other Countries (A+ and E)

Answer 11

A+- Limits because it only placed small pressure on the government to talk about the issue and not do anything about it

E- Least important factor because it applied less pressure than WSPU and NUWSS on the government and did not create as much publicity about the issue