BRITAIN: WOMEN AND THE VOTE

Question 1

women and the vote

Introduction - Background

Answer 1

1. Throughout the 1800s a number of changes had been introduced to make Britain more democratic and by 1884 most working-class men had been granted the vote.
2. The 1911 Parliament Act also introduced payment for MPs for the first time, enabling working class men to represent constituencies for the first time.

Question 2

BACKGROUND - CHANGING SOCIAL ATTITUDES

Answer 2

1. More women began to gain more legal rights in Britain, including the Infant Custody Act in 1873 and the Local Government Act in 1894
2. The LGA allowed women votes in local elections if they were property owners, often restricting these limited voting rights to the upper classes

Question 3

CHANGING SOCIAL ATTITUDES - FOR AND AGAINST

Answer 3

FOR - Women gaining more legal rights shows a shift in attitudes towards their intelligence and rationality, with a small act like the LGA becoming a stepping stone for full voting rights

AGAINST - The exclusion of poorer women from positive legal changes proved that not all women were viewed the same in society, or ‘good enough’ for the vote.

Question 4

PEACEFUL PRESSURE GROUPS - Background

Answer 4

1. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (the Suffragists, led by Millicent Fawcett) took part in peaceful campaigns including meetings, petitions and parliamentary bills
2. They also worked with the new Labour Party to support the ‘Votes for All’ campaign

Question 5

PEACEFUL PRESSURE - FOR AND AGAINST

Answer 5

FOR - Peaceful protests proved women were responsible, supporting the idea that women should gain the right to vote and gained support from male MPs
AGAINST - Some women had been campaigning since the 1860s without any progress or success

Question 6

VIOLENT PRESSURE - BACKGROUND

Answer 6

1. Formed in 1903, the Women’s Social and Political Union, the Suffragettes, were led Emmeline Pankhurst
2. In 1913, Emily Davison died at the Derby after running in front of the king’s horse in an attempt to promote votes for women

Question 7

VIOLENT PRESSURE GROUPS - FOR AND AGAINST

Answer 7

FOR - The violent actions of the suffragettes gained a high profile and meant the discussion of women voting remained topical
AGAINST - The British Government did not want to be seen to give in to violence, especially after events like the 1916 Easter Rising

Question 8

WORLD WAR ONE - BACKGROUND

Answer 8

1. Women played a vital role in the First World War, working in traditonally male jobs and in munitions factories. Sulpher turned the skin yellow, earning female workers the nickname of ‘canary girls’
2. Women also became police officers, Edith Smith being the first woman to be granted power of arrest in 1915

Question 9

WORLD WAR ONE - FOR AND AGAINST

Answer 9

FOR - Many people argue that women gaining the vote in 1918 was a ‘thank you’ for their various wartime efforts
AGAINST - Even after the war, not all women gained the vote - only 30+ and property owners or those who were married to property owners - which excluded the majority of women who worked in munitions and emergency wartime efforts.

Question 10

OTHER COUNTRIES’ INFLUENCE - BACKGROUND

Answer 10

1. Countries that were part of the British Empire gave the vote to women before Britain, including Australia in 1902 and New Zealand in 1893
2. During WW1 Britain claimed to be fighting for freedom, so it was hypocritical for women to be oppressed at home

Question 11

OTHER COUNTRIES - FOR AND AGAINST

Answer 11

FOR - Brtitain was head of the Empire, meaning that to not give women the vote it was undermining itself in not being a leader in change
AGAINST - Many powerful countries did not give women the vote until after 1918, including France in 1944 and the USA in 1920