Suffragettes Flashcards
Who were they?
The suffragettes were mostly educated women such as teachers etc. and from middle-class backgrounds.
Who are the Suffragettes?
Women who used militant and sometimes illegal ways of persuading people that women should have the vote. The leader of the WSPU was Emmeline Pankhurst.
What is the WSPU?
Women’s Social and Political Union.
What was their motto?
Deeds, not words
What did they do?
Suffragettes wanted to attract as much publicity as possible:
- They attacked property (e.g. Men Only golf courses)
- Setting fire to public buildings.
- They heckled politicians at public meetings.
- Chained themselves to railings.
- Poured chemicals into letter boxes.
- Cut telegraph wires,
- Slashed paintings
What did they believe?
Violence
They believed using violence was the only way to:
- Make government listen to them.
- Respond to what they saw as violence of the police and therefore government.
When did they form?
They formed in 1903.
Why did they do this?
Marriage
When married:
- A woman’s personal identity is lost. She loses her last name.
- Her husband has complete control over her person, effects and property.
- She cannot sign any legal documents. Her husband must sign for her.
- When divorced, woman only get custody of her children if they are under the age of seven because her ex-husband wouldn’t have to start paying for education.
Why did they do this?
Work
- Woman weren’t expected to earn their own living. Women rarely had careers as most professions refused entry to woman.
- Woman were not allowed to be diplomats, lawyers or judges.
- People believe woman were only capable of doing light, indoor work that did not need strength or skill.
- Women were paid less even though they worked similar hours to men.
- Many women were housewives or doing laundry for low wages.
- Young, unmarried women worked as domestic servants with low pay, hardly no free time and working for 15-16 hours.
- Many women believed that if they weren’t given the right to vote they would not improve their working and living conditions.
Who was a well known opponent?
Lady White. The suffragettes burned down her house, but they checked no-one was in there.
Why did they form?
They were irritated by the lack of process made by the NUWSS.
What did the suffragettes colours represent?
Purple meant dignity, white meant purity and green meant hope.
