Women's Suffrage Flashcards
name 3 key arguments FOR women suffrage
- Britain was unable to call itself a democracy when the majority of its population was disenfranchised
- women were already active in party politics and voting in local elections. It seems stupid to not allowing from participating in general elections
- if women were in parliament they could push for laws that improve women economic and social welfare
- a number of countries ( New Zealand, USA and Norway ) had already enfranchised women and this challenged the idea that Britain was the mother of democracy
- many women were already property owners
name 3 key arguments AGAINST women’s suffrage
- it would damage Britain and its existing social structure
- women did not fight in the war and therefore do not deserve full citizenship
- it was god’s wish that men rule
- it would mean women neglecting their family duties
- their brains weighed less so are intellectually inferior
List popular Suffragette campaigning techniques
- attacking paintings
- arson
- window smashing
- hunger strikes
- destroyed kew gardens
- rallies
- protests
- speeches
- bombs
who were the main leaders of the suffragettes?
christabel and emmeline pankhurst. sylvia pankhurst was the leader of the ELFS
who were the
- WSPU?
- NUWSS?
- ELFS?
- WFL?
- the women social political union - the suffragettes
- the national union of women suffrage society - suffragists
- east london federation of suffragettes
- women freedom league
when and why did women break away from the NUWSS?
In 1903 some women broke away from the NUWSS and formed the WSPU because government was ignoring the suffragists and some of the women believed the only way to get their attention and respect was through the use of militant tactics. therefore they set up their own association to do just that.
who was the leader of the NUWSS and when was it founded ?
Millicent Fawcett, in 1897
describe the NUWSS campaign tactics and give examples
constitutional campaigning:
- argued with MPs
- issued leaflets
- petitions
- marches
- meetings
- speeches
Who did the NUWSS target with their campaigning and why?
Parliament and politicians, because they were the ones who could really make a difference to the laws.
Evidence of the NUWSS success
- by 1900 more than 1/2 of MPs agreed with women having suffrage.
- the number of branches went from 33 1907 to 478 in 1914.
- after the first newspaper was published membership rose to 52,000
- donations made totalled £37000
- the leader of the conservatives supported them
evidence of the NUWSS ineffectivness
- 15 times the bill was brought up in parliament and shut down
- liberal leaders and backbench MPs opposed
- all parties had larger issues to them than women’s suffrage
when did women start campaigning for the vote ?
1860’s
what were the EARLY 1905 - 1908 AIMS AND TACTICS of the WSPU and HOW EFFECTIVE WHERE THEY ?
AIMS: peaceful and moderate protest to enrage and shock the government. they wanted to force to gov to put acts in place against them that would gain them sympathy.
TACTICS: disturb meetings , heckling, speeches, on the 25th October 1906 they broke into HoP lobby.
EFFECTIVE:
- Christabel wrote in her diary that she believed they had broken the press silence on votes for women which had strangled and smothered the suffrage movements.
- 1907 they organised a MUD MARCH where 3000 people showed up.
INEFFECTIVE:
- 1908 PM Asquith announced that he refused to consider women’s suffrage.
- June 1908 250,000-500,000 women showed up in hyde park to show support but Asquith was still unmoved.
- Their attempts at peaceful protest where in effective.
what were the AIMS and TACTICS of WSPU after 1908 and HOW EFFECTIVE WHERE THEY?
AIMS: to gain publicity and to get people to believe that women’s suffrage was an important issue.
TACTICS: arson ( 1912 - 1914 churches and shops mostly by ELFS ), window smashing, violent protests, bombing (they bombed Lloyd George’s country home), attacking people ( Lloyd George ) and attacking property, chained them selves to Buckingham palace fence and hunger strikes.
EFFECTIVE:
- 250,000 - 500,000 women met up in hyde park to show their support for the women’s suffrage movement.
- greater publicity mainly due to the hunger strikes and 1913 cat and mouse act.
INEFFECTIVE:
- many of the women were gravely ill due to the cat and mouse act which was also a very effective retaliation by the gov.
- many disagreement within the organisation.
- people believed that the pankhursts just wanted celebrity status.
- some argue that their militant tactics , especially those loser to the 1914 war where counter productive.
- anti suffrage groups (EG. NASL) were formed in response.
how was the WSPU organised and HOW EFFECTIVE WAS IT?
HOW IT WAS ORGANISED : central committee, sub committee, a home sessions, 4 officers, emmeline pankhurst.
EFFECTIVE:
- in 1906 3 branches 1911 122
INEFFECTIVE:
- class divisions did dominate the WSPU 1909
- tensions rose between the branches
- a lot of members disliked the authoritarian side to the WSPU.
what did emmeline provide to the movement?
- attracted dedicated women
- set up the original movement
- influential speaker
