WSPU organisation and tactics

Question 1

The difference between suffragist and suffragette

Answer 1

• suffragist - member of NUWSS who campaigned for vote using peaceful means
• sufragette - member of WSPU who campaigned for the vote using confrontational and sometimes violent means

Question 2

The WSPU

Answer 2

• founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters, Sylvia and Christabel
• family became disilussioned with local labour party - lukewarm to women’s suffrage
• created out of frustration - wanted to form a more effective political machine

Question 3

Leadership of WSPU

Answer 3

• all female membership
• leaders mostly from affluent, middle class families
• also recruited many working class

Question 4

Organisation of WSPU - central committee

Answer 4

• highly authoritarian
• from 1906 policy decided by unelected central committee dominated by Pankhursts
• central committee controlled all publications and finances

Question 5

Emmeline Pankhurst

Answer 5

• founded WSPU - promoted confrontational style of politics
• claimed responsibility for suffragette actions
• 1913 sentenced to 3 years in prison
• 1914, hunger strike, gov forced to release her

Question 6

Christabel Pankhurst

Answer 6

• chief organiser of WSPU
• imprisoned 3 times
• fled to Paris in 1912 to escape arrest and imprisonment

Question 7

Sylvia Pankhurst

Answer 7

• organised working class branch of WSPU
• imprisoned several times - hunger strikes
• expelled from WSPU in 1914 for not following its principles

Question 8

Annie Kenney

Answer 8

• paid organiser of WSPU
• sent to prison 4 times
• took charge of London based WSPU when Christabel was in exile

Question 9

Emmeline Pethic-Lawrence

Answer 9

• donated large sums of money to WSPU
• treasurer of WSPU - expelled in 1912
• arrested, imprisoned, hunger strike

Question 10

Emily Wilding Davison

Answer 10

• gave up teaching to campaign for the vote
• imprisoned several times
• died from injuries sustained at Epsom derby 1913

Question 11

Millicent Fawcett

Answer 11

• NUWSS
• spearheaded campaign for women’s suffrage
• believed violence harmed the campaign

Question 12

Initial WSPU tactics

Answer 12

• public meetings
• leaflets
• petitioning parliament
• regular meetings of the ‘women’s parliament’ opposite house of commons

Question 13

Beginnings of militancy 1905-09

Answer 13

• 1905 Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney interrupted speeches of politicians
• ejected from the meeting
• spat at police officer
• gained publicity for movement

Question 14

Reasons for increasing militancy

Answer 14

• reaction to repressive measures taken by liberal government
• retaliation against a government that encouraged police brutality and force feeding prisoners
• 1908 - 300,000 suffragettes joined march in Hyde park
• PM Asquith ignored demands

Question 15

Development of tactics 1909-11

Answer 15

• propaganda
• many women imprisoned - hunger strikes
• tactics more militants

Question 16

Tactics 1912-14

Answer 16

• acts of arson - attacked places they thought men valued
• bomb exploded at railway station
• burned down houses
• paintings in Manchester art gallery destroyed