WSPU Flashcards
What do the 1884 Reform Act do?
Enfranchised many working class men, 40% of all men still unenfranchised.
The proposed amendment to the 1884 reform act:
- Proposed enfranchisement of 100,000 propertied women.
- wrecked by Gladstone, 104 liberals convinced to reject
Who wrecked the amendment to the 1884 reform act
William Gladstone - convinced 104 MPs to reject!
In what years was women’s suffrage not debated?
1886-1892
When was the NUWSS established?
1897
Who established the NUWSS
Millicent Fawcett
What did NUWSS stand for?
National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies
What were the tactics on the NUWSS like?
- Minimally successful due to tame tactics
- avoided outdoor meetings, by-election interfering (unlike the CDA protesters!)
What was the ILP
Independent Labour Party
Why was the rise of the Independent Labour Party vital in the fight for women’s sufferage?
Provided a socialist voice, a voice for industrial workers - a voice for the unenfranchised
When did the ILP secure electoral significance?
After 1906 general election
When was the WSPU established?
1903
What did WSPU stand for?
Women’s Social and political Union
What did the formation of the WSPU mark?
The women’s suffrage campaign taking on a more militant character. Reinvigorated the cause.
The three periods of the WSPU
1903-05 / 1905-08 / 1908-14
WSPU 1903-05
Relatively quiet, secured little attention, did not expand in popularity significantly.
1905-08
- 1905 marks the start of sustained militancy
- increased public attention and won support
WSPU 1908-14
- violence escalated
- more shocking forms of protest
Who established the WSPU in 1903?
Emmeline Pankhurst
Initial membership of the WSPU
- working-class women
- wives of ILP supporters
- by summer of 1905 = 30 members
How many members of WSPU in 1905
30
Emmeline Pankhurst daughters heavily involved in the WSPU
Christabel and Sylvia
Why did the Pankhurst support the ILP
If elected they believed Labour MPs will promote female suffrage.
What was the WSPU’s motto?
“Deeds, not words”
Which sister decided to adopt militant tactics in 1905
Christabel Pankhurst
What were the militant tactics adopted in 1905?
Meeting disruptions, demonstrations, heckling
How did Christabel initiate the 1905 militancy campaign?
- disrupting a speech by Sir Edward Grey at a public meeting
- imprisoned for this with Annie Kenney
What happened to Christabel and Annie Kenney for interrupting the speech by Sir Edward Grey?
- imprisoned
Where did the move of the WSPU tactics towards militancy draw inspiration from?
Irish Home Rule movement
Irish Home Rule movement in influencing WSPU militancy
- leader Charles Parnell
- decided to oppose all liberal candidates
- even those in favour of Irish home Rule
- didn’t target individuals, but put pressure on whole liberal govt
What was the Pankhursts’ rule over the WSPU like?
Autocratic - only waned people who were wholly devoted
Wanted a pressure group to shock the government truly, and cultivate strong public support for the movement.
When did militant action increase?
1906 - 1907
What did the 1906-7 increase in milligrams action include?
Suffragettes chaining selves to railings in Downing Street and statues in the House of Commons
More frequent meeting interruptions
When did WSPU break into House of Commons
25th October 1906
What did the WSPU do on the 25th October 1906
Broke into HOC lobby waving flags and making speeches
How many were arrested 25/10/1906 - HOC break in?
10 arrested - breaking the peace and went to prison.
What was the demographic of those arrested 25/10/1906 (breaking into HOC)?
9/10 were MC/UC - this arrest of respectable caused public outrage = powerful tool for creating sympathy
How did the WSPU use the arrests of mc/uc to their advantage?
- Tool for creating sympathy with MC and UC audiences - including R.Cobden’s daughter Mrs Cobden Sanderson (renowned politician) - won wide support including. NUWSS
- WC women arrest never brought the same public response
- martyrs made: women victims of a male controlled state
What were BREAKFAST MEETINGS?
Celebrate the release of women from prison - raised supports and funds.
When/where was the first WOMENS PARLIAMENT held?
- February 1907
- Caxton Hall
What followed the first Women’s Parliament in Feb 1907?
Westminster participants march on parliament, attacked by police - 38 women went to court for a few weeks in Holloway prison (incl. Sylvia and Christabel)
What did militant acts do?
Drew in support, especially for NUWSS membership
1907 NUWSS mass meeting
3000 supporters = the mud march
When did militancy begin to increase?
1908 Hyde Park meeting fails to influence the govt. at all.
Why did the liberal government after 1906 not focus on female suffrage?
Focus on:
- radical social welfare reform
- resisting the conservative-controlled House of Lords
- Irish home rule
- worsening national trade balance
Turning point for increased militancy
1908
Why did WSPU use militancy?
Gaining public sympathy via peaceful protest had failed, apparent after 1908 HUGE Hyde park meeting
Who replaced Campbell-Bannerman as PM in 1908?
Herbert Asquith
Who was PM for the Liberal Govt. when they won the election in 1906?
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
What happened to Campbell-Bannerman?
Died in office so replaced by Herbert Henry Asquith in 1908
Why was Herbert Asquith against giving women the vote?
- didn’t believe most women actually wanted the vote
- representation via the vote was not a universal right (children also couldn’t vote)
- would only give women vote if a substantial enough demand within the country
What did the suffragettes do to show Asquith that there was sufficient enough demand within the country that women wanted enfranchisement?
1908 mass meeting at Hyde Park
Details of 1908 Hyde Park meeting?
- June 1908
- 250,000/500,000 women
- Hyde park meeting DEMANDING the vote
Consequence of peaceful Hyde Park mass meeting?
- Asquith still firm on his stance
- women would remain enfranchised
- SO WSPUs leaders were convinced that peaceful protest was now useless
First Acts of MASS militancy?
HUGE window breaking campaign directed by Christabel Pankhurst.
How long was Christabel sent to prison for for window breaking?
Two months
What was the point of militancy?
Target private property.
To convince Govt. that daily life could not carry on ordinarily until women were represented in parliament.
Was Asquith a target of WSPU violence?
YES - attacked at golf course, slates thrown at his vehicle, fears writhing parliament that he may be assaulted!
What was in June 1909?
WSPU march on parliament
What happened at the June 1909 WSPU march on Parliament?
Windows of Home Office, Treasury, Privy Council SMASHED
What else began in June 1909?
Hunger strikes of imprisoned women
How were hunger strikes initially then later combatted?
First = FORCE FEEDINGS (WSPU propaganda however made women enduring force feedings into heroes) LATER = Cat and Mouse Act
What was the Cat and Mouse act?
- Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act 1913
- Legislation to combat hunger strikes
- when women on hunger strikes became ill, they were released on probation/surveillance till rearrest.
- Hard to enforce
Was the cat and mouse act effective?
No
What happened on 18th November 1910
Black Friday
Details of Black Friday
- 18th November 1910
- after govt. refused time to debate Women’s Suffrage
- WSPU sent 300 women into HOC
- women clashed with police, police assaulted women and were deliberately rough - to teach women a lesson
Who did Emmeline and Christabel believe the enemies were from Black Friday
Emmeline = the Liberal Party
Christabel = MEN (sex war)
What were the consequences of Black Friday?
- WSPU starts to avoid street protests
- Emmeline Pankhurst declared Liberal party as the enemy
- started to favour acts of property destruction
Acts of militancy in 1912
- targeted artwork
- set fire to pillar boxes
- continued window smashing
Slasher Mary
Mary ‘Slasher’ Richardson
- attacked ‘The toilet if Venus’ with an axe in 1914 in the National Gallery
- joined suffragettes in 1910
- arrested 9 times for civil disobedience
- forcefed
Militant acts in 1913
- 13 paintings in Manchester Art gallery hacked
- streetlights, golf greens, train carriages damaged
- acid in mailboxes/ blowing them up
Did Millicent Fawcett agree with WSPU violence
No -
- Fawcetts case was that women were morally superior to men - violence is immoral
- Violence lost sympathy for the cause
- increased hostility towards women
What did the post-1908 militance do for the women’s suffrage movement
- alienated non militant members of the women’s sufferage movement
- disappointed Fawcett
- but gained publicity for the movement
Details of Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League
1908 - formed by MRS Humphrey
- for women who didn’t want the vote
- could have inspired Lord Curzon and Corners Men’s League for Opposing Women’s Sufferage
The organisations united in 1910 to for National League for opposing women’s sufferage
Militancy caused a BOOM in WSPU membership
- 1906 = 3 branches —————> 1911 = 122
- by 1910 Votes for Women Newspaper = 40,000 circulation
- difficult to know actual numbers of members as WSPU did not keep formal register
5 main WSPU speakers before 1905
- Christabel
- Emmeline
- Adela
- Sylvia
- Theresa Billington-Greig
(Were soon joined by Annie Kenney (working class representation within the movement))
When did the Pethick-Lawrences join the WSPU, what did they offer?
Emmeline (treasurer) and Frederick (established VOTES FOR WOMEN paper) joined in 1906
The couple encouraged using music, drama and pageantry, drama to popularise.
Emmeline also designed suffragette clothing and colours.
What were the colours of the WSPU and what did they represent?
Green = hope
White = purity
Purple =dignity
What was Emmeline Pankhursts role in the WSPU
Ambassador for the WSPU:
- spoke at meetings
- organised by-election campaigns
- arranged demonstrations
Overall leader with Christabel
Structure of the WSPU
- Central Committee - EP+CP as leaders, SP as secretary, AK as paid organiser, EPL as treasurer
- Sub-committee - friends of the Pankhurst
- home sessions
- regional offices
Social Base changes in the WSPU
1903 = working class Northern women, connections to ILP
1906 = Christabel severs labour alliance, power base moved to LONDON
(Moving away from labour means no socialist message, so wealthy women join) soon became fashionable and elitist movement => alienated working class members
