History Suffragettes Dates Flashcards
Suffragettes vs Suffragists
Suffragettes use militant action, whereas the suffragists use prefer peaceful actions.
John Stuart Mill
A philosopher, MP and vocal supporter of female suffrage. When he proposed equal suffrage to Parliament in 1867, it was rejected by 194 votes to 73.
Emmeline Pankhurst
Helped found the WSPU with her daughters. She was arrested on numerous occasions and went on
hunger strike herself, resulting in violent force-feeding.
Millicent Fawcett
A British suffragist who was best known for her work as the leader of the NUWSS, using peaceful and
constitutional means to achieve suffrage for women.
Christabel Pankhurst
Co-founded the WSPU and directed campaigns centred on inflammatory rhetoric, protests and violence.
She was sentenced to a period in Holloway prison in 1908 and exiled in France from 1912 to 1913.
Marion Wallace-Dunlop
After being imprisoned in 1909, she went on hunger strike as a form of political protest. As a result of her actions, hunger striking became a common response to imprisonment.
Sylvia Pankhurst
From 1906, she worked full-time for the WSPU, devising their logo and various leaflets. She contributed
articles to their newspaper and was arrested eight times between February 1913 and August 1914.
Emily Davison
A prominent member of the WSPU, Davison was arrested on nine occasions. She died after being hit by King George V’s horse at
the 1913 Derby
Herbert Asquith
Prime Minister (1906-1911) and a noted anti-suffragist. He was subjected to several suffragette attacks.
David Lloyd George
Chancellor (1908-1915) and Prime Minister (1916-1922). Despite being pro-suffrage, the government’s failure to make progress
meant he was often a target of suffragette activity. He was Prime Minister when the Representation of the People Act 1918 passed.
1869
Under the Municipal Franchise Act, unmarried female ratepayers received the right to vote in local government elections.
1894
The Local Government Act extended the right to vote in local elections to women who owned property
1897
The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was formed.
1900
Thanks to provision under election law, more than one million women were registered to vote in local government elections in England.
1903
Emmeline Pankhurst founded the WSPU with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia.
1908
300,000 suffragettes marched to Hyde Park, accompanied by brass and silver bands.
1910
The first of three Conciliation Bills were put before the House of Commons that proposed extending the franchise to women. A general election was called before it has passed through the full parliamentary process.
1910
Following the perceived betrayal of the Conciliation Bill, 300 suffragettes marched to Parliament and were
met with excessive force. Four men and 115 women were arrested in what became known as Black Friday.
1912
Mary Leigh threw an axe at Asquith. The Theatre Royal, Dublin was set on fire and bombed while Asquith was there.
1913
Five postmen were burned when handling a letter bomb intended for the Prime Minister exploded.
1913
Suffragettes bombed Chancellor David Lloyd George’s house.
1913
Ten bomb attacks on trains and tube stations across London. In May 1913 alone there were 52 bomb and arson attacks.
1913
Hunger-striking suffragettes were temporarily released from prison when they became weak under the Cat and Mouse Act. Once they
had recovered, they were re-arrested to complete their sentences.
1913
Emily Davison was killed when she ran out in front of King George V’s horse, Anmer.
1913
A five-week, nationwide Women’s Suffrage Pilgrimage culminated in a rally of 50,000 suffragists calling for votes for women in Hyde Park.
1914
With the outbreak of World War One (WWI), all militant activity was stopped. Suffragette prisoners were released by the government.
1916
The number of women in the workforce dramatically expanded due to the introduction of conscription. Women undertook jobs
normally carried out by men and demonstrated they could do the work just as well.
1918
The Representation of the People Act was passed by 385 votes to 55. This granted the right to vote to all men over 21 and women over 30 as long as they owned property or were married to property owners.
1928
Women were given equal right to vote under the Equal Franchise Act; this meant all women over the age of 21 had the vote.
NUWSS
the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies believed in using peaceful, constitutional methods to achieve their goal of
women’s suffrage. They organised marches, rallies, and other public events to raise awareness and put pressure on politicians.
WSPU
the Women’s Social and Political Union was a militant suffrage organisation that used more radical and militant tactics such as
civil disobedience, hunger strikes, and even arson to draw attention to their cause.
Votes for Women
founded in 1907, it was the official newspaper of the WPSU until 1912 and was used for recruitment and fundraising.
Hunger Strike
a form of protest where a person refuses to eat in order to draw attention demand a change in policy or action.
Forced Feeding
the practice of feeding someone against their will; it was used by police to reduce the impact of hunger strikes.
Suffrage
the legal and constitutional right to participate in the democratic process by voting in elections.
Summary of the Period
The nineteenth century brought legislation that facilitated some gains in social equality, however, by 1900, women’s
democratic rights was partial and limited to local elections. The WSPU represented the long tradition of peaceful
campaigning for female suffrage, whereas 1903 saw the dawn of a new era of protest: militancy. In the years that preceded
WWI, suffragists and suffragettes campaigned simultaneously, but not together, for equal suffrage and their repeated efforts
were largely frustrated by a stubborn Parliament. WWI turned national attention elsewhere as women fulfilled essential
work, particularly after the introduction of conscription. The various causes of the 1918 Representation of the People Act
remain ferociously debated amongst historians, as do the role and relative contributions of the NUWSS and WSPU
