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Britain Edexcel History A Level > depth 4: WSPU 1903-14 > Flashcards

depth 4: WSPU 1903-14 Flashcards

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1
Q

NUWSS

A

National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies
Founded 1897
Lead by Millicent Fawcett
Specifically focused on the vote for women by unifying the many different groups campaigning for women’s suffrage

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2
Q

WSPU

A

Women’s Social and Political Union
Formed 1903 in Manchester by Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst
Radical.

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3
Q

when did the WSPU move base from Manchester to London

A

1905

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4
Q

how was the WSPU different from NUWSS

A

Autocratic rule lead by Emmeline, Christabel, and Sylvia Pankhurst
Campaigning done almost exclusively by women (unlike NUWSS who involved men)
Not democratic - Pankhursts demanded full obedience
Unlike most political groups they had no constitution, annual meetings, or accounts

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5
Q

aims of WSPU:

female suffrage

A

sought votes on equal status to men (ie 30% of population, only middle/upper class).
Critic “they do not want votes for women, but votes for ladies”

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6
Q

aims of WSPU:

pressure ILP

A 
Pankhurst's concerned that male dominated ILP not working enough on female suffrage.
Their focus on suffrage based on class caused tensions with ILP 
Keir Hardie (ILP leader) did support WSPU.
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7
Q

aims of WSPU:

free women from ‘slavery’

A

Christabel saw campaign as part of wider issue of freeing women from an enslaved social role –> very few men campaign with WSPU
Pankhurst “Women, we must do the work ourselves”

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8
Q

early tactics of WSPU (1903 - 1908)

A
  • publish journal ‘The Suffragette’
  • took part in marches wearing iconic green and purple ribbons/banners
  • (only difference from NUWSS) heckled ministers at public meetings: Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney arrested in Manchester on charge of obstruction
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9
Q

examples of marches by WSPU in early period

A
  • May Day parades
  • February 1907 ‘Mud March’ alongside NUWSS (coincided with the opening of parliament)
  • June 1908, one week after NUWSS held a march, WSPU organise a larger one with 30,000 women
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10
Q

new tactic in 1908

A

hunger strikes made famous my Marrion Wallace-Dunlop in 1908

Soon copied by other suffragettes

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11
Q

call for increased militancy

A

1908

Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence wrote in journal ‘votes for women’: “Nothing but militant action is left for us now”

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12
Q

increased militancy 1909 - 1910:

attacks on property

A

1909
Christabel Pankhurst leads wave of attacks on property (stones through windows of London social clubs, burning post boxes, attacks on golf greens)
Attempted damage of property belonging to prominent politicians eg house of David Lloyd George

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13
Q

increased militancy 1909 - 1910:

public demonstrations

A
  • now used as way to attempting to storm Houses of Parliament and Downing Street
  • 1909: 27 suffragettes arrested throwing stones at 10 Downing Street
  • November 1910: ‘Black Friday’ several suffragettes (including Emmeline & Christabel Pankhurst) arrested in fights with police outside Parliament
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14
Q

increased militancy 1909 - 1910:

hunger strikes

A

1909 onwards
hunger strikes became more serious as prisons begin force feeding suffragettes (brutal)
More effective as this got media attention

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15
Q

when was there a temporary pause in militancy

A

1911-1912
Government suggested law which might give small number of wealthy women the vote (1911 Conciliation Bill)
Passed second stage but failed to become law –> suffragettes saw this as a betrayal

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16
Q

more extreme militancy 1912-14:

property attacks

A

attacks on property of value in London and elsewhere

eg. shops in West End, post boxes, golf courses
1913: bombing of house of David Lloyd George

Bristol: suffragettes burned town a timer yard, university building, and 2 mansions

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17
Q

more extreme militancy 1912-14:

art

A

famous painting in National gallery (Rokeby Venus) slashed with a knife.
Newspapers nicknames the suffragette ‘slasher mary’

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18
Q

more extreme militancy 1912-14:

Emily Davison

A

Emily Davsion attempted to pin a WSPU rosette on the kings horse at the 1913 Derby.
She was trampled by the horse and killed, often assumed a deliberate suicide but she had a return train ticket
Her death was publicised and 5000 women attended her funeral procession

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19
Q

more extreme militancy 1912-14:

Hunger strikes

A

hunger strikes in jail became so severe.

20
Q

effects of hunger strikes

A

So-called ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ 1913
implemented to avoid creating a martyr
a woman on hunger strike was released until she was well and then re-arrested

21
Q

effects of increased militancy

A
  • decreased public support
  • caused tensions within WSPU, often resolved by Emmeline Pankhurst expelling those who disagreed with her (including own daughter Sylvia)
22
Q

reason for end to militancy

A

1914 - start of WW2.
Emmeline Pankhurst called an end to the militant campaigns in a demonstration of patriotism.
‘The Suffragette’ renamed ‘The Britannia’

23
Q

Emmeline Pankhurst (before WSPU)

A

Daughter of wealthy industrialist

1889 formed Women’s Franchise League

24
Q

Women’s Franchise League

A

Formed 1889 by Emmeline Pankhurst
Some success: extended women’s suffrage to local council elections
Not enough success by 1903 - she founds the more militant WSPU

25
Q

Emmeline Pankhurst as leader of WSPU

A
  • Dictatorial leader, personally made most decisions (eg preventing men from having a central role) - caused some to leave union
  • Personally directed most movements (eg moving headquarters from Manchester to London 1905)
  • Involved in protest: lead marches, gave speeches, imprisoned several times for militant actions, tool part in hunger strikes
  • Firm leadership held WSPU together when many left in 1913 (including own daughter Adela)
26
Q

Christabel Pankhurst pre WSPU

A

Studied law at Manchester University

Unable to practice due to being a woman

27
Q

Christabel Pankhurst as secretary for WSPU

A
  • arrested with Annie Kenney 1905 for disrupting Liberal Party meeting –> chose prison over fine, gained support
  • nicknamed ‘Queen of the Mob’ (job as secretary was organising meetings and protests)
  • Jailed 1907 - 1909
  • fled to France 1913 - 1914 to avoid prison under ‘Cat and Mouse Act’
  • opposed efforts by members to include other issues such as healthcare for working class women
28
Q

Sylvia Pankhurst in WSPU

A
  • joined 1906
  • designed posters, journal covers, and banners (she was an artist)
  • arrested 3 times: jailed in 1906 and 1913. Participated in hunger strikes
  • never fully participated in militancy (especially arson campaigns of 1913)
  • kept working relationship with Labour Party
  • left WSPU in 1913
29
Q

the East London Federation of Female Suffrage

later known as the Women’s Suffrage Federation

A 
Formed by Sylvia Pankhurst in 1913
Militant movement supported by working class women and dock workers.
Sylvia arrested 8 times 1913-14, often leading to fights between her supporters and police --> extra attention to WSPU but damages middle-class support for movement
30
Q

Emily Davison (pre WSPU)

A

studied at Oxford (although women couldn’t actually revive a degree)
Worked as a teacher before becoming full time protestor for WSPU in 1906

31
Q

Emily Davison in WSPU

A

1909: threw rocks at carriage of David Loyd George
1913: trampled by the King’s horse at 1913 Derby, often assumed deliberate suicide.
Death publicised in newspapers and news clips, showed how far these women would go to achieve universal suffrage

32
Q

when was the Conservative Party in power

A

1895 - 1905

Salisbury, Balfour, and Bonar Law

33
Q

when was the Liberal Party in power

A

1905 - 1922

Asquith, Lloyd George

34
Q

Conservative Party attitude to female suffrage

A

Most MPs hostile
Leadership saw potential for property owning women having the vote as opportunity for increased right win support (especially useful since 1884 Representation of the People Act increased left wing voters).
All 3 conservative leaders 1895 - 1905 indicated their willingness to consider limited female suffrage

35
Q

Liberal Party attitude to female suffrage

A

Most members support it - eg 1907 and 1909 proposed unsuccessful Women’s Suffrage Bill.
Party leadership less supportive, concerned votes for women would increase strength of pressure groups and also increase right wing vote.
Asquith particularly against female suffrage
Lloyd George (1916 onwards) supports women’s suffrage

36
Q

Labour Party attitude to female suffrage

A

Labour Party did support female suffrage but would not separate it from universal suffrage for all men and women
ILP only had 2 MPs in 1900 and 29 in 1906 so had little real impact

37
Q

effect of lack on consensus in parliament

A

no real government support overall

eg. 1906: 400/650 MPs favoured some form of female suffrage yet no bills successfully passed until 1918

38
Q

government response to increased militancy

A
  • initial relaxed stance (freedom of political expression)
  • as militancy increased, so did arrests (caused some issues as images of women being physically restrained or police brutality did not look good)
  • fines and short prison sentences (to avoid bad press government favoured fines over prison time for suffragettes, or kept sentences short)
  • Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act 1913 (Cat and Mouse Act) stopped bad press from forced feeding and meant women could be re-arrested without trial if they committed further offences
39
Q

failed parliamentary attempts to achieve female suffrage:

The Women’s Bill

A

1909
Liberals proposed bill in 1907 to give some women and all men the vote. Re-proposed in 1908 and 1909 where it passed second reading.
Failed because: other issues (eg People’s budget) given priority, bill did not have enough time to be passed

40
Q

failed parliamentary attempts to achieve female suffrage:

the Conciliation Committee

A

1910
NUWSS and WSPU form cross-party committee aiming to achieve suffrage for 1 million women.
300 MPs supported drafted bill with petition of 250,000 presented in support.
Failed because: Asquith (liberal leader) did not support the bill. Despite passing second reading Asquith declared there was not sufficient time

41
Q

failed parliamentary attempts to achieve female suffrage:

the first Conciliation Bill

A

1911
1910 bill proposed again, this time as a private members bill. Promised 1 week of parliamentary discussion. Passed reading 255 votes to 208
Failed because: Asquith declared proposing a universal male suffrage bill with the possibility of adding female suffrage in November 1911. For most liberals, universal male suffrage was sufficient

42
Q

failed parliamentary attempts to achieve female suffrage:

the second Conciliation Bill

A

1912
Voted down 222 votes to 208
Failed because: Irish Home Rule more important issue. WSPU militancy had decreased support

43
Q

failed parliamentary attempts to achieve female suffrage:

the Government Franchise Bill

A

1913
1912 suggested bill for increased male suffrage proposed in 1913. Asquith suggested possibility of adding limited female suffrage to bill.
Failed because: bill was never a serious possibility. Chair of HOC declared it illegal to add female suffrage to a male suffrage bill. Arson attacks by WSPU 1913 pushed away moderate supporters

44
Q

quote to show Asquith never saw it asa serious possibility to add female suffrage to the Government Franchise Bill

A

1912, said to a friend “I think we are nearly out of the woods” (regarding WSPU and women’s suffrage)

45
Q

WSPU vs NUWSS membership

A

by 1913
WSPU: 2,000 members
NUWSS: 50,000 members

46
Q

WSPU alienating political allies

A

several attacks on David Lloyd George (house bombed and speeches interrupted)
He later led the 1918 Representation of the People Act (women’s suffrage), could have been a useful ally

47
Q

Pankhurst dictatorial style causing people to leave WSPU

A

1907: supporters leave to form Women’s Freedom League
1912: two leading members who had funded the WSPU paper leave to form the United Suffragists
1913: Emmeline’s own daughter Adela leaves WSPU

Britain Edexcel History A Level (7 decks)

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