WSPU Violence Flashcards
Who were the first suffragettes to be arrested & imprisoned? Why?
Christabel Pankhurst
Annie Kenney
Both interrupted public meeting & Christabel pretended to spit on policeman (1905)
What happened to them?
They were put into small box like cells and were forced to wear ugly prison clothes.
What happened in 1908?
Christabel and Emmeline Pankhurst and Mrs Flora Drummond were arrested for ‘obstructing’ when trying to match into the Houses of Parliament. They were sent to Holloway Prison for 3 months.
What happened in July 1909?
Marion Wallace Dunlop went on hunger strike when in prison because she said she was being treated more like a criminal than a political offender.
Why did the government not want this and what did they do?
They didn’t want a martyr so force fed her.
How did this benefit the suffragettes?
This brought them publicity and sympathy.
What happened during force feeding?
Prisoner strapped down get funnel attached to tube put up nose/clamp mouth open & pour liquid (eggs or milk) into this to feed them. They would want to swallow but couldn’t making them wretch & sometimes vomit.
What happened to some women while being force fed?
Some died because the tune didn’t go down the right way and went into lungs.
Some got punctured lungs because of this.
What was the full name of the Cat and Mouse Act?
The Temporary Discharge Ill Health Act
Why did they use this?
To avoid public outcry against force feeding. They let the suffragette starve for a few weeks key her go before she died then re arrest her when she was better to finish her sentence.
