The Women's social and political union, 1903-14 Flashcards

1
Q

In what years were the following formed?

NUWSS
WSPU

A

NUWSS: 1897.
WSPU: 1903.

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2
Q

Why did Suffragists have to rely on private members bills to get parliament to debate women’s suffrage?

A

Because no political party was willing to adopt women’s suffrage as an official policy.

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3
Q

Give two example of peaceful methods used by the NUWSS and initially by the WSPU?

A
  • Holding public meetings.
  • Leaflets.
  • Petitioning parliament.
  • Writing letters.
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4
Q

Give one way in which the WSPU was different to the NUWSS from the outset?

A
  • No men allowed to join.

- More confrontational approach.

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5
Q

Who was the founding member of the WSPU and why were most early members well off?

A
  • Emmeline Pankhurst.

- Relied on unpaid work so members had to be economically independent to devote themselves to campaigning.

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6
Q

Apart from the Pankhursts, name 3 key WSPU members?

A
  • The Pethick-Lawrences.
  • Teresa Billington-Grieg.
  • Anne Kenney.
  • Emily Davison.
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7
Q

Which Liberal MP was heckled several times in 1906 and then went on to lose his parliamentary seat?

A

Winston Churchill.

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8
Q

What was the name of the WSPU journal and its circulation figures in 1910?

A
  • Votes for Women.

- 40,000.

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9
Q

The failure of which large rally in 1908 convinced the WSPU to adopt more violent forms of militancy? How many women attended?

A
  • Hyde park - no influence on the govt at all.

- 250,000-50,000.

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10
Q

Why were the Liberals reluctant to adopt female suffrage as a policy?

A

Leader - Asquith did not believe in it/ Liberals focused on radical social welfare and question of Irish home rule - Female suffrage not a priority / concerned propertied women would vote for the Conservatives.

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11
Q

Give one way in which suffragette militancy was held against them.

A

Evidence of unstable nature of women / hysterical tendencies / vote was a responsibility with which they could not be trusted.

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12
Q

Give two reasons used by the Suffragettes to justify militancy.

A
  • Denied main form of peaceful protest - only realistic option now curbed.
  • Long tradition of use of force e.g. Reform Acts of 1832 and 1867.
  • Chartists.
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13
Q

Which notorious event in November 1910 convinced WSPU to avoid street protests?

A

Black Friday - women sexually assaulted / injuries.

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14
Q

What evidence is there that the WSPU did not control its members?

A
  • Violence often initiated at local level - only adopted by WSPU later.
  • Window smashing, arson and letter box burning.
  • Emily Davison’s suicide in 1913.
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15
Q

Give an example of tension between London central WSPU and regional WSPU branches.

A
  • WSPU London tried to get w/c Liverpool branch to hold drawing-room meetings to encourage m/c members.
  • Liverpool branch refused.
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16
Q

Which two key figures left the WSPU in 1907 to form the WFL and what percentage of WSPU members went with them?

A
  • Charlotte Despard and Teresa Bilington-Grieg.

- 5%.

17
Q

When were the Pethick-Lawrences expelled from the WSPU?

A

1912.

18
Q

When did Sylvia Pankhurst leave the WSPU and why?

A
  • 1913.

- Disagreed with move to Conservatives - was a socialist.

19
Q

What consequence did Christabel’s move of WSPU away from ILP in 1906 have on the WSPU?

A
  • Gentrification - attracted more and more m/c and u/c support without socialist connotations / more money - £20,000 in 1907 compared to £2,500 the year before - employed staff.
20
Q

How did the government initially respond to hunger strikes and how did this help the WSPU?

A
  • Forced feedings - propaganda coup women public support for WSPU.
21
Q

What was the nickname given to the 1913 Act which allowed women on hunger strike to be released from prison and kept under surveilance until healthy enough to be re-arrested?

A

Cat and Mouse Act.

22
Q

Name two organisations set up to oppose female suffrage.

A
  • Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League {1908}.

- Men’s League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage {1909 - 97 branches}.

23
Q

Why were the Labour Party suspicious of WSPU and who was an exception?

A
  • Disliked m/c and u/c women interfering in their movement.
  • Anxious women would vote Conservative and drive wages down.
  • Keir Hardie.
24
Q

How might women have benefitted from the Franchise Bill of 1913 and why did it fail?

A
  • Amendment extending vote to women.

- Speaker of House of Commons ruled amendment changed bill too much.