How did the WSPU become increasingly mililtant? Flashcards
What happened in October 1905
- petition to parliament
Why was the October 1905 petition seen as the final straw
- MPs debated other issues to avoid giving time to a women’s suffrage bill
- This was seen as the final straw - WSPU leaders took this as a sign that politics of persuasion would not work
- They would have to force the govt to grant women the vote
What action did the WSPU take from 1906 onwards
- They began heckling politicians
What happened in Autumn 1906
- Suffragettes chained themselves to the railings of Downing Street & statues in the HofC lobby
- Some then broke into the HofC lobby
Why does Pankhurst argue for the militancy which began in 1906
- All other options had been exhausted.
- Possible reaction to the repressive Liberal government (e.g. banning women from public meetings) which made it harder for women to protest peacefully so there was no realistic alternative
- Many claimed it was a response the use of force by the authorities - including police brutality
- It was also influenced by the history of British radical protests, particularly the Chartists who had used both moral and physical force
What did the WSPU first do in February 1907
- The WSPU held the first Women’s Parliament at Caxton Hall, Westminster
- They marched on parliament and were attacked by police
- 38 went to court and some were sent to Holloway prison
What did the NUWSS first do in February 1907
- NUWSS organise their first large procession-attended by over 3000 women from 40 different organisations, known as the mud-march
To what degree does the authorities cause the WSPU’s militancy
- The authorities’ coercive response arguably incites greater militancy, in some quarters
- but there is also still close links between the WSPU and other organisations and not all protests are militant
What happened in March 1907
- 76 suffragettes arrested when they attempted to storm parliament,
- in response to the failure of the Women’s Enfranchisement Bill, which wasn’t even voted on
What failed attempt at escalted militancy took place in February 1908
Christabel Pankhurst organised the ‘Trojan horse’ raid on the House of Commons, BUT IT FAILED
What was the consequence of the Trojan Horse raid on the HofC
- They were speedily ejected
- By the end of the day 54 women had been arrested
- 48 of them subsequently received two months’ imprisonment
What turning point took place in 1908
-June
- Women’s Sunday’ demonstration is organised by the WSPU at Hyde Park, London
- Attended by 250,000 people from around Britain, it is the largest-ever political rally in London
- Suffragettes turn to smashing windows in Downing Street
What turning point took place in 1908
-Autumn
- The first violent action, smashing windows, began
- Mass campaign of window-breaking
Where did the ‘Trojan Horse’ raid originate from
- The ‘Trojan horse’ raid was a response to the King’s speech (at the opening of a new parliamentary session)
- Once again, the government failed to include women’s suffrage in its programme
What was the reason for the turning point of violence within the movement
- The march was ignored by Asquith (who had become PM in April and was known to be an anti-suffragist) and other leading government politicians
- Asquith refused to acknowledge popular calls for suffrage,
- so they were were adamant in convincing the govt that orderly daily life would be disrupted until women got the right to vote
What escalated militancy within the WSPU’s campaign took place in 1909
- Christabel Pankhurst led a wave of attack on property, including:
- Windows broken in Whitehall and of London social clubs
- Damaged property of Lloyd George
- These actions led to a wave of arrests and a large number of protestors were jailed
Where did the property attacks stem from
- The initial attacks stemmed from a protest against Emmeline Pankhurst
- & elderly suffragettes evicted from the House of Commons and arrested while trying to deliver a petition
What increased miltancy began in June 1909
- Late in June the hunger strikes began
- Marion Wallace Dunlop is the first suffragette prisoner to refuse to eat
- Force feeding starts later in the year
What was the consequence of the force feeding which began in June 1909
- The hunger strikes provoked the government into responding with the policy of force-feedings which created images of brave sacrifice for the protestors which were successfully used for propaganda
How long did force-feeding continue till
- until the government passed the Cat & Mouse Act in 1913
What is the significance of the militant action in 1910
- A truce for all except a week of this period
Why was there only a weeks truce in 1910
- During deliberations of the Conciliation Committee:
- small number of MPs from all the main parties, to gather support across party lines for votes for women and drafted a Private Members Bill to extend the franchise to women on the same terms as men (householders)
What arose from the failure of the First Concillation Bill, which was effectively blocked because of Asquith
- 18th November 1910 - ‘Black Friday’:
- approximately 300 suffragettes marched to the HofC
In November 1910, how were the women treated on the ‘Black Friday’ march
- The police responded harshly - they had been brought from the east end of London, and were not used to dealing with suffragette demonstrations
- They forced the suffragettes back, and kicked them, twisted their breasts, punched their noses and thrust knees between their legs
What less militant action took place in April 1911
- The Women’s Freedom League organised a boycott of the census, supported by the WSPU and NUWSS
- On the day of the census, large numbers of women made elaborate arrangements to be away from home for the night in order to avoid the people collecting information for the census
What significant woman was apart of the April 1911 census
- Emily Davison hid in a broom cupboard in Parliament on census night so that she could record her address as HofC
Despite the boycott of the April 1911 census being less militant, what is its significance?
- The significance of this protest was to symbolise the Suffragettes refusal to support a state that denied them recognition
- The suffragettes were clearly highlighting a link, now almost universally accepted, between citizenship and suffrage
What increasingly violent action took place in 1911-12
- WSPU members broke windows in several government buildings in London e.g the Home Office
- Increasingly private property is attacked in addition to government targets.
- Windows were smashed in several parts of London e.g on Oxford Street
Why did increasingly violent action take place between 1911
- The response to continued government obduracy and intransigence:
- Asquith rejected the attempt to grant women the vote through a Second Conciliation Bill
Why did increasingly violent action take place after 1912
- Reaction after a Liberal cabinet minister commented that the women’s suffrage movement had not generated the kind of popular uprising associated with previous pressure groups
What particularly violent action was taken in February 1913
- An attempt was made to blow up the house being built for Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
What happened after the attempted bombing of Lloyd-George
- Emmeline Pankhurst made a speech later that evening in Cardiff claiming responsibility on behalf of the WSPU and announcing:
- ‘For all that has been done in the past I accept responsibility. I have advised, I have incited, I have conspired.’
What happened in response to Emmeline Pankhursts’ imprisonment - for her speech in February 1913
- Several houses were burnt down
- A racehorse at Ayr racecourse was burned down
- A bomb exploded at a railway station
- Telephone wires were cut
- Several paintings in Manchester Art Gallery were damaged
- Letters in pillar boxes were destroyed
- Golf courses were also attacked (slogans were burned into the grass using acid)
What incredibly high-profile event took place in June 1913
- Emily Davison jumped out in front of the king’s horse and attempting to attach as WSPU flag to it and later died of her injuries
- It is not known whether she intended to kill herself - she had bought a return ticket - but she became a martyr to the cause
What was the consequence of Emily Davison’s murder
- Gained attention at such a high-profile event
- Her funeral became a huge suffragette demonstration attended by thousands
What became the focus of the WSPU’s militant action for the remainder of 1913
- Asquith was targeted - he was assaulted by women brandishing dog whips
What property was attacked in the remainder of 1913
- More public buildings were attacked (a bomb was discovered at St Pauls, the jewel cabinets at the Tower of London)
Why was Asquith the focus of the WSPU’s campaign for the remainder of 1913
- Continued escalation as the government continued to resist making concessions to the suffragettes
- despite having given some encouragement by suggesting some sort of compromise might be possible
- (even Asquith had promised to consider an amendment earlier in the year)
What took place in March 1914
- 4 major arson attacks amongst many attacks on homes, churches and pavilions
- Also increased attacks on cultural targets in London - the Rokeby Venus, mummy cases in the British museum
What took place in May 1914
- The WSPU clash with police outside of the gates to Buckingham Palace, when Emmeline Pankhurst attempts to present a petition to King George V
What happened in July/August 1914
- The outbreak of war led to a suspension of activities
