Women And The Vote

Question 1

Changing Attitudes KU

Answer 1

1870-Girton college established (first women’s college)
1879-Oxford opens women’s college’s
Women now have the ability to train for male dominated professions like medicine or law
1880-Education Act makes education mandatory for all children age 5-10 including girls

Question 2

Changing Attitudes Analysis

Answer 2

A+ Women able to enter established proffesions means they gained respect and showed that women could handle responsibility and stress, also showed they were intelligent which meant men thought they could be trusted with the vote

Question 3

Foreign influence KU

Answer 3

Britain considered itself the cradle of democracy however some colonies gave women the vote before them as well as other countries outside the empire
-New Zealand 1893
-Australia 1902
-Norway 1907

Question 4

Foreign influence Analysis

Answer 4

A+ It is argued that women gained the right to vote in the UK because Britain feared falling behind and looking bad compared to other countries

A- women still didn’t get the vote until 1918 which is a significant amount of time after these countries and there is no evidence to say that the progressions of other countries was ever discussed in Parliament when it came to womens suffrage

Question 5

Suffragists KU

Answer 5

Working in smaller groups in the 1860’s until united under the NUWSS by Millicent Fawcett in 1897
Used peaceful Tactics such as
-Distributing Pamphlets
-Using petitions
-Marches
-Having tea parties with MPs
-Writing letters to MPs
The suffragists had the support of some MPs who would present suffrage bills frequently (every year 1910-1912)

Question 6

Suffragists Analysis

Answer 6

A+ Their peaceful tactics showed they were responsible and intelligent and were therefore worthy of the vote

A- Suffragists progress was slow and they were easily ignored as they never gained as much publicity as the suffragettes

Question 7

Suffragettes KU

Answer 7

1903- Suffragettes founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters out of their frustration at the slow progress of the suffragists
Their policy was “Deeds not Words” and they used militant tactics such as:
-Arson
-Pouring acid/panting bombs in mailboxes
-assaulting MPs and Police
-Chaining themselves to buildings
-smashing windows

Question 8

Suffragettes Analysis

Answer 8

A+ Difficult to ignore, believed gov gave them the vote to stop their actions

A- Their actions furthered the belief that women were irresponsible and shouldn’t be trusted with the vote

Question 9

Womens war work KU

Answer 9

When war broke out in 1914 both the suffragists and the suffragettes put their campaigns on hold to help out with the war effort
As over 3 million men went to war women stepped in to fill in the essential jobs they’d left empty with 20,000 women working in government departments and over 700,000 working in munitions which helped maintain the weapons industry and keep the war going, many women died from working in munitions factories due to explosions and prolonged exposure to radiation

Question 10

Womens war work Analysis

Answer 10

A+ Women gained respect for helping with the war effort rather than continuing their campaigns which may have harmed the war effort

A+ It is also believed that women gained the vote as a reward for their hard work during the war as their work was essential to keep the country and the war going

A- only women over 30 who owned property were given the vote in 1918 while most of the women who did war work were younger and did not own property so many historians think the reward theory is too simple a reason