BRITAIN WSPU 1903-14 PART 2 Flashcards
When was Sylvia arrested for interrupting a court case?
1906
Why was Sylvia’s stance on the WSPU militancy hypocritical?
She was regularly in and out of prison for acts of militancy
How many times was Sylvia arrested in Spring 1913?
3 times, going on a hunger strike on the third occasion
What made Sylvia stand out from the rest of the Pankhursts?
She was a socialist
What did Syliva believe that the move away from Labour was typical of?
Christabel’s ‘incipient Toryism’
When did Sylvia leave the WSPU?
1913
What did Sylvia found?
East London Federation of Suffragettes (ELFS)
What was the difference between the WSPU and the ELFS?
ELFS included male members and was a democratically organised society
When did Emily Davison join the WSPU?
1906
When did Davison quit her job to campaign full-tme for the WSPU?
1908
What did Emily Davison do before the WSPU?
Worked as a teacher; studied at the University of Oxford
What action did Emily Davison take during the 1911 census?
Hid in a chapel beneath the Houses of Parliament the night before registration, so that she could appear as residing there
What did Davison do in 1912?
Spent 6 months in Holloway Prison for arson before falling down a staircase to win relief from the force-feedings
When was Davison killed?
June 1913
Where did Davison throw herself in front of the king’s horse?
Epsom Derby
What has been suggested about WSPU militancy?
Much was not directed by the WPSU, but performed on individual members’ private initiative
How was the WSPU faring in 1914?
It had enjoyed immense success and popularity, but was in a precarious position
When did Christabel’s role in the WSPU diminish?
After 1912
Why did Christabel’s role in the WSPU diminish?
She fled to France to avoid imprisonment
How did Christabel get involved from the WSPU from afar?
Regular meetings with Annie Kenney from Paris
What in particular did Christabel direct from afar?
WSPU’s arson campaign
When did Emmeline’s power diminish?
1913
Why did Emmeline’s power diminish?
Sentenced to 3 years’ penal servitude for threatening to blow up Lloyd George’s house- weakened
When was the government seriously considering extending the franchise?
1909-14
What was the problem with the WSPU’s organisation?
WSPU’s autocratic nature was limited and inflexible
What were several political obstacles preventing the success of female suffrage between 1909-14?
PM’s personal opposition; 1910 constitutional crisis; debates over form of female suffrage
When had many pro-suffrage MPs become disillusioned because of WPSU violence?
By 1912
Why could the WSPU be considered pragmatic?
They conceived of only a limited extension to the franchise
What was one of the biggest obstacles to female suffrage in 1909?
Party deadlock between Conservatives and Liberals about the form it should take
What kind of female suffrage were Conservative MPs advocating in 1909?
Equal suffrage rights with men
Why did the Liberals reject the Conservative proposal of female suffrage in 1909?
Feared it would add more Conservative votes to the electorate
What kind of female suffrage were Liberal MPs advocating in 1909?
Extending suffrage criteria so that women and more working-class men would have the vote
When did a significant women’s suffrage bill fail?
1909
Which party took power in 1906?
Liberals
Which Liberal MP introduced an unsuccessful private member’s bill for both male and female suffrage, based on a 3-month residential qualification?
Geoffrey Howard
How did the 1909 women’s suffrage bill fare in parliament?
Carried by 35 votes on its 2nd reading, but failed to proceed after extensive debate wasted time allocated to its passing
What view did Asquith hold on political change?
Gladstonian- believed that too much too quickly would fundamentally damage political stability
When was Asquith assaulted by women brandishing dog whips?
1913
How did militancy affect Asquith’s personal views on female suffrage?
Strengthened his resolve
What reinforced Asquith’s view that only very extreme women could possibly want the vote?
His wife Margot and daughter Violet were adamantly opposed to female suffrage
When did Asquith call a general election, due to the Lords’ refusal to pass the 1909 budget?
January 1910
How did the Liberals fare in the 1910 election?
Returned to government, but lost their majority
What was appointed after the 1910 election to address the issue of female suffrage?
All-party committee, consisting of 54 MPs
Who chaired the 1910 all-party committee for female suffrage?
Conservative Early of Lytton, brother of a celebrated WSPU member
What did the 1910 bill propose?
Vote for women householders and business occupants, with an income of £10 a year or more; marriage wouldn’t be a disqualification
Who would the 1910 bill actually give the vote to?
Women who could already vote in local government elections
Why was the 1910 bill criticised in the HoC?
Only gave vote to 1 million women, mostly widows and spinsters
How did the 1910 bill actually fare in the HoC?
Passed its 2nd reading in July by a staggering 110 votes
Which key figures denounced/opposed the 1910 bill?
Christabel; Asquith; Lloyd George and Churchill
Why did nothing more happen with the 1910 bill?
1910 constitutional crisis
When was there a 2nd general election in 1910?
November
Why was there a 2nd general election in 1910?
Total breakdown in relations between HoL and HoC
When was Black Friday?
1910
What happened on Black Friday?
Riot broke out in Parliament Square in response to failure of 1909 conciliation bill; 300 women assaulted by police
How many women died on Black Friday?
3
When was a 2nd conciliation bill passed?
May 1911
What did the 2nd conciliation bill pass by?
255 votes to 88
Why was there a 2nd conciliation bill?
Asquith promised the next parliament would include a bill for female suffrage
Who opposed the 2nd conciliation bill?
Lloyd George- feared it would create 1000s of Conservative voters
When was there a 3rd conciliation bill?
March 1912
How did the 3rd conciliation bill fare?
Defeated by 14 votes
How did the female suffrage societies react to the failure of the 3rd conciliation bill?
NUWSS moved to make an alliance with the Labour Party; WSPU resumed militant activities more aggressively
What was part of the reason for the failure of the 3rd conciliation bill?
Damaging effect of WSPU’s militant violence
How did Asquith sabotage the 3rd conciliation bill?
Persuaded Irish Nationalist MPs to drop their support for the bill in order to secure legislation for Irish Home Rule
How many Irish MPs voted for the 1912 bill?
3
What did many people believe that the vote was?
A responsibility, not a right
When was a new franchise bill debated, proposing the extension of the vote to working-class men?
1913
Who suggested that the 1913 franchise bill should also include women?
Lloyd George
How did MPs react to the 1913 franchise bill?
Found support from HoC; Speaker of the House declared that this would make the bill invalid
Who was the Speaker of the House in 1913?
Conservative MP James Lowther
How did the suffragettes react to the 1913 franchise bill?
With more violence
When did Lloyd George believe that Christabel had lost all sense of proportion?
November 1911
When was Milicent Fawcett made aware in a conversation with Lloyd George that recent militancy made reform impossible?
1910
What was the significant militant event that made pro-suffrage MPs doubt the cause?
1910 attack on Downing Street
When was there a particularly aggressive wave of violence?
1911-13
How many times had Conservative Party conferences passed votes in favour of female suffrage before 1911?
6
How did Conservative Party conferences vote on female suffrage in 1912 and 1913?
Opposed it
What is an example of reduced support for female suffrage in 1912?
Pro-suffrage MP George Lansbury lost his seat to an anti-suffrage candidate; despite a huge majority in 1910
How did the 1917 RPA fare?
Passed by 385 to 55 votes
