How far were individuals responsible for WSPU success? Flashcards
Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst
In Nov 1905 Christabel Pankhurst got herself deliberately arrested and imprisoned, recognizing that imprisonment could be a valuable tool to secure public sympathy.
What acts of arson did CP commit?
Burning of cabinet minister Lewis Harcourt’s house- even directed acts of arson against churches.
Who was CP in contact with?
Conservative leader Balfour who doubted that women actually wanted the vote
What did the Pankhursts autocratic style of leadership lead to?
Alienated some members and their inability to compromise weakened the movement.
What happened in 1907?
Charlotte Despard and Teresa Billington-Grieg left to form the Women’s Franchise League
What were the WFL main beliefs?
Avoided violence, but persued more militant forms of protest such as tax avoidance
How many supporters did the WSPU loose as a result of the WFL split?
20%
Sylvia Pankhurst…
Although she did not approve of increasing militancy after 1908, she was herself in and out of prison- hunger strikes in 1913.
-When CP severed links with ILP, Sylvia remained close to the Labour Party and worked to promote women’s suffrage among w/c audiences.
-SP was a socialist who grew tired of the WSPU’s socially elite composition- she believed move away from Labour was typical of CP’s incipient Toryism.
Th move towards the conservatives and a property based franchise seems pragmatic, as votes for all women would have been difficult to sell to parliament however SP provides a good example of how limited the leadership of EP and CP was…
Who did SP keep close links with?
Kier Hardie
While EP and CP focussed their attention on winning support from wealthy women, what did SP do?
Devoted her efforts to campaigning in London’s East End- appealing to w/c families
