Why Some Women Gained The Vote in 1918 Flashcards
intro
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, women and men had marginally different societal positions. A woman’s role was often as a housewife/mother and they were seen as emotional and physically weak. Men, however, had roles as breadwinners and were seen as strong and politically educated. Multiple laws were passed before 1918 that gave men the vote. However, it wasn’t until 1918 that some women in Britain were given the vote. There were many important factors in some women gaining the vote, like changing attitudes to women, the Suffragettes’ campaigns, the Suffragists’ campaigns and women’s war effort during WWI. Whilst changing attitudes to women in society was an important reason for women gaining the vote, this essay will argue that the Suffragettes were the most important reason why some women gained the right to vote in 1918 and therefore the view is invalid.
para 1 - KU
The first factor to be discussed is changing attitudes to women. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, societal views of women started changing. Women were given more educational opportunities as, from 1872, primary education was mandatory for both genders in Scotland. Women were also given more legal rights in the 1800s, for example, women were given the right to keep custody of children after divorce through the Infant Custody Act in 1873.
para 1 - important A
It could be argued that changing attitudes to women in society was important in gaining some women the vote as women’s political progress showed that they could partake in politics and should have the right to vote. The fact that poor men had the right to vote (whilst well-educated and wealthy women didn’t) also increased the support for women’s requests.
para 1 - unimportant A
However, it could be argued that changing attitudes to women in society wasn’t the most important factor in women gaining the vote as many men despised the increasing amount of influence and rights women in society had garnered. Some people started anti-women’s suffrage groups to show their opposition. This led to some men arguing that women didn’t need more power or control, suggesting that it would also be wrong to grant women the vote.
para 1 -E
Overall, whilst changing attitudes to women in society was important, the Suffragettes were more important as changing attitudes weren’t enough for change to ensue. Changing attitudes didn’t see politicians come close to granting the vote and made it clear that a forthright and active campaign centred on equal voting was needed. The Suffragettes were this campaign - their militant tactics gained attraction from the public and the government and ultimately led to equal voting being achieved as they managed to change many of the public’s minds through their hunger strikes.
para 2 - Ku
The second factor to be discussed is the Suffragettes. The Women’s Social and Political Union (the Suffragettes) was formed in 1903 because of many women’s frustration at the government’s failure to listen to their demands and also their desire for action. The Suffragettes used violent campaign methods, including arson, vandalism, attacking policemen and bombing Lloyd George’s house. Women were sent to prison due to these violent protests and when there, participated in hunger strikes that resulted in the government having them force-fed.
para 2 - important A
It could be argued that the Suffragettes were important in gaining some women the vote because the Suffragettes’ violent tactics gained a high profile, resulting in the issue of women voting being talked about in newspapers and parliament regularly, increasing pressure on the government to act.
para 2 - unimportant A
However, it could be argued that the Suffragettes were not the most important factor in women gaining the vote as a lot of Suffragette methods isolated the group that they needed to support them - MPs. They attacked politicians (e.g. Lloyd George) and chained themselves to Parliament railings which made it difficult for them to entice some MPs to back their cause.
para 2 - E
Overall, the Suffragettes were the most important reason for women gaining the vote in 1918 because they garnered public sympathy for their cause as arrested Suffragettes often engaged in hunger strikes whilst in prison. The idea of women dying under their watch was embarrassing for the government, leading to them force-feeding women in prison who refused to eat. This made the public empathise with the women experiencing it, making more people support their cause which led to some women gaining the vote.
para 3 - KU
The third factor to be discussed is the Suffragists. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (the Suffragists) was established in 1897 and was involved in a variety of campaign activities to try and win the vote. They organised petitions and letter-writing campaigns in support of gaining women the vote, held marches and spoke directly to MPs to inform them of their cause and wants. The Suffragists also backed Britain’s war effort by suspending their campaigns at the start of WWI and by organising a register for women to work jobs that aided the war effort.
para 3 - important KU
It could be argued that the Suffragists were important in gaining some women the vote because they engaged in peaceful protests that made them out to be responsible which helped them gain the vote. Their war effort also obtained support for the idea that women should be ‘thanked’ for their war effort by getting the right to vote.
para 3 - unimportant KU
However, it could be argued that the Suffragists were not an important factor in some women gaining the vote because many women’s suffrage groups had been campaigning since the mid-1800s, inspired by the male campaign groups emerging at the time, but by the 1900’s they hadn’t managed to get a lot of publicity and support which suggests they weren’t effective.
para 3 - E
Overall, the Suffragists were a significant factor in some women getting the vote but they weren’t as important as the Suffragettes as the rise of the Suffragettes showed limitations in the Suffragist campaign as many Suffragettes were previously members of the Suffragists who had grown impatient with the Suffragists lack of success in getting the vote and so started a more radical, militant group based on taking action to gain the vote.
para 4 - KU
The fourth factor to be discussed is women’s war effort during WWI. During WWI, women were a huge part of Britain’s war effort. This included working in munitions factories where chemicals like sulphur turned their skin yellow, earning them the nickname the ‘canary girls’. By 1917, 80% of British shells were made by women. Many women travelled overseas to support the war effort by working as doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and more. Women also took over jobs that were traditionally done by men, including train drivers, tram drivers and police officers.
para 4 - important A
It could be argued that women’s war effort was important in some women gaining the vote because it’s argued that some women gained the vote in 1918 as a ‘thank you’ for their numerous wartime efforts and the fact that women showed they were capable of stepping into male roles, gaining them respect and admiration from men across all classes.
para 4 - unimportant A
However, it could be argued that women’s wartime effort was not an important reason for some women gaining the vote because some men - and women - despised the eminent role women had started to gain in society due to their war efforts which made them oppose giving women more power and influence, including the right to vote.
para 4 - E
Overall, women’s war effort during WWI was a significant factor in some women gaining the vote in 1918 but it was not as important as the Suffragettes as, even after WWI, not all women gained the vote. Only women over 30 who were property owners or married to property owners gained the vote. Many of the women who worked in munitions factories were single and under 30, the very women not given the vote in 1918, showing that WWI wasn’t a clear reason for extending the franchise. However, the Suffragettes campaigned for votes for all women and did not stop until that was achieved, making them a more important reason for women gaining the vote.
para 5 - KU
Another factor to be discussed is the example of other countries. Many countries gaev women the right to vote before Britain, including many that were members of the British empire. Britain was the head of a global empire - and yet its member countries were more advanced in terms of women’s voting rights. Britain may have given women the vote in order to maintain leadership and also because British women were angry at the differences. British women were aware of overseas activities - Emmeline Pankhust travelled to the USA, using her trips to raise funds to suppor the British campaigns, and early editions of The Women’s Suffrage Journal included stories about suffrage speeches given by women in New Zealand.
para 5 - important A
It could be argued that examples of other countries was important as British women were inspired by the campaigns amd successes that other women had, which encouraged them to continue their fight. Also, funds that were raised in other countries were important to allowing women’s groups to be able to campaign. British politicians often saw themselves as being in charge of the greatest democracy and Empire on earth and were perhaps keen to demonstrate that they could keep up with this next great reform in politics
para 5 - unimportant A
However, it could be argued that examples of other countries weren’t important as, although some countries gave women the vote in 1918, many didn’t until after Britain. These included France (1944), USA (1920) and Spain (1931). This undermines the view that Britain felt pressured by global changes to give women the vote.
para 5 - E
Overall, the Suffragettes were more important than examples of other countries as many other countries that gave women the vote did so without conditions, whereas Britian did include limits (at first women had ro be aged 30 to vote.) Whereas, the Suffragettes continued to fight for votes for all women, and didn’t stop until this was achieved, showing that they were more important.
conclusion
In conclusion, all the factors discussed played a part in some women gaining the vote in 1918, although the Suffragettes was the most important factor. The Suffragettes were a more important factor than changing attitudes to women in society as changes attitudes weren’t enough to change politicians minds about giving women the vote and made it clear that a more active campaign (the Suffragettes) were needed to gain women the vote. The Suffragetes were more important than the Suffragists as many Suffragettes were previous Suffragist’s who had grown tired of the lack of change the Suffragist’s had made and felt that a campaign fuelded on action was a better method, making the Suffragettes more important. The Suffragettes were more important than women’s war effort during WWI as only some women gained the vote after WWI which shows it was not as important as the Suffragettes who didn’t stop until equal voting was achieved. Overall, it was the Suffragettes campaign that gained some women the vote, and therefore the view is invalid.
