Suffragettes Flashcards
WSPU
Women’s Social and Political Union
Restrictions facing women in the 19th and 20th centuries - mother
Working class women were expected to work until they had children. In the middle of 19th century, the average woman gave birth to over 6 children. Over 35% of all married women had 8 or more children.
Restrictions facing women in the 19th and 20th centuries - jobs
In the 19th century, it was virtually impossible for women to become doctors, engineers, architects, accountants or bankers. After a long struggle the medical professors allowed women to become doctors. Even so, by 1900 there were only 200 female doctors. It was not until 1910 that women were allowed to become accountants and bankers.
Restrictions facing women in the 19th and 20th centuries - education
Private all girl schools were set up in an attempt to allow women the same educational opportunities as men. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was very difficult for women to obtain a university education. By 1910, there were just over a thousand female students at Oxford and Cambridge. However, they had to obtain permission to attend lectures and were not allowed to take degrees
Restrictions facing women in the 19th and 20th centuries - marriage
In 19th century Britain women were expected to marry and have children. However, women outnumbered outnumbered men as they mortality rate for boys was far higher than for girls. By 1861, there were 10,380,285 women living in England and Wales but only 9,825,246 men. Once married, it was extremely difficult for a woman to obtain a divorce.
Women’s Political progress methods
Peaceful protest
Petitions to parliament
Women’s Political progress propaganda
Newspaper ‘The Suffragist’, leaflets etc. In 1913 spend £45,000 on publicity
Emmeline Pankhurst
Founder of the WSPU
WSPU methods
Believed in using military to gain the vote.
Gained publicity through propaganda, leaflets, newspapers, marches and demonstrations.
Series of 6 meetings in 1908 attracted more than 25,000 women to attend.
1908 - Demonstration Hyde Park - £1000 spent on publicity.
1911 - ‘Women’s Coronation Procession’. Joint March with Suffragists. Over 40,000 women attended. Procession attracted 1000s of supporters.
1912 - month long pilgrimage from Edinburgh to London attracted 1000s of supporters
WSPU Memebership
1909 - votes for women newspaper sold 20,000 copies per week.
1910 - membership 2000 - annual income £33,027. Employed 98 women in London. 34 out of 88 branches were in London.
1914 - membership low, number of suffragettes able to campaign effectively was reduced (exile or weak from hunger strike).
Militant tactics
Threw stones Hunger strike (suffragettes imprisoned) Arson attacks Acid on golf courses and letter boxes Telephone wires cut
Mrs Mary Clarke
Emmeline Pankhurst’s sister.
Seriously injured in women’s vote protest and later died from their injuries.
Campaigns first martyr
Why did women not get the vote by 1914
Government attitudes and actions
Actions of the suffragettes and suffragists
Attitude of public and press
Splits in suffrage movement
Emily Davison
Threw herself in front of the kings horse on Derby Day 1913 and then tragically died
Consequences of WW1
After WW1 broke out, the suffrage movement in Britain and the rest of the world came to a halt. Women were now needed to help with the war efforts doing a range of important jobs. After conscription was introduced in 1916 women were needed to work in factories as more men went to war. Women were needed to tend to the wounds of the men on the front lines in France and Belgium and became nurses
