The Era Of The Great War #16: Reaction To Women’s Suffrage Campaigns Flashcards
Why did the government what to keep force feeding secret?
- painful & dangerous
- many never fully recovered
How did force feeding be come published?
‘Votes for Women’ posted accounts
What happened to the public view on Suffrage as a result of force feeding?
- government criticised
- sympathy increase
What is the Cat & Mouse Act also known as?
Temporary Discharge for Ill Health Act
When was the Cat & Mouse Act?
1913
What was the main idea of the Cat & Mouse Act?
- women were allowed to leave prison to regain their strength from a hunger strike
- BUT they had to return to prison
- most did not
As a result of the Cat and Mouse Act, what did police spend time doing?
Finding & rearresting the women
Where does the Cat and Mouse Act get its name from?
It was the idea that the women were mice that the government (the cat) was trying to catch
Why were some men against suffragettes?
Sexism, insecurity, typical gender roles
What was the Men’s League for women’s suffrage?
An organisation that supported the WSPU and the NUWSS
When was the Men’s League for women’s suffrage set up?
1907
Who established the Glasgow branch of the Men’s league for women’s suffrage? Why?
- George Moffat
- His wife was in jail for 2 weeks
When was the Scottish Churches League for women’s suffrage established?
July 1912
What party consistently supported women’s suffrage?
Labour
What did labour promise they would do if the were voted in?
Gain the vote for women
Why was it tactical for labour to support women’s suffrage?
They were a relatively new party, so this would gain the support of
Why did the upper/middle class oppose women’s suffrage? What is this known as?
- they were already economically and socially comfortable
- CLASS DIVISION
Who set up the Scottish Anti-Suffrage League?
Duchess of Montrose
What did the Scottish Anti-Suffrage League do?
Produced leaflets + posters portraying them as ugly, unattractive, neglecting mothers + wives
Example or anti-suffragette poster
“Mummy’s a suffragette”
Anti-suffrage view in a newspaper:
“I, for one, will not be ruled be women”
What did the Scotsman say about suffrage in 1911?
“After 44 years’ wandering, the suffragists have a right to demand legislation”
What was the general view of newspaper editorials?
- opposed militant acts of WSPU
- generally open to enfranchisement
What happened as militancy increased?
Newspapers began to reflect a lack of support from the public
What happened to the WSPU and the NUWSS during WW1?
They paused their campaigning
How did women’s changing role contribute to their enfranchisement?
They were seen in a way they never had been previously: they were seen as strong, smart, and capable enough to vote
