The Suffragettes

Victorian Women Victorian women had few civil or political rights. A wife had to do as she was told by her husband, who was her protector and adviser. Until 1884 a wife was officially listed as one of her husband’s possessions. In addition, Victorian women were expected to live up to an image of ‘the perfect being’ – beautiful, demure, loving and intelligent.

A view on the role of women... A woman should make a man’s home delightful. Their femininity should ever teach them to be subordinate. Women are like children; the more they show they need looking after, the more attractive they are. Mrs John Sandford, Woman in her Social and Domestic Character (1837). (Notice that Elizabeth Poole Sandford, as she was, writes under her married name of Mrs John Sandford).

Women’s Rights in the 19 th century As the 19 th century progressed, women were given some number of rights:- 1857: Matrimonial Causes Act – a woman can divorce her husband if he beats her or commits adultery. 1882: Married Woman’s Property Act – married women allowed to own property and to keep their own earnings. 1907: women ratepayers were allowed to vote in local elections. But by 1900 they had still not been given the right to vote in Parliamentary elections.

The Suffragists In 1866, a number of women took a petition, signed by 1,500 women to Parliament They were asking for the vote; Two of the very small number of pro-vote MPs presented it to Parliament No action was taken, the women were ignored. More and more groups of women and some men, began to get together to campaign for the vote; They were called Suffrage societies; They campaigned peacefully and Parliament took no notice of them.

The NUWSS In 1897, the various women’s suffrage societies joined together into the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS); These ‘Suffragists’ continued to campaign peacefully for the vote; They held meetings; They went on Peaceful marches; They wrote letters and prepared more petitions; They had posters made; But, although the number of pro-suffrage MPs in the House of Commons grew, the Suffragists got absolutely nowhere!

The WSPU In 1903, therefore, Emmeline Pankhurst, and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, formed the Women’s Social and Political Union. The ‘Suffragettes’, as they came to be called, were much more militant. They were determined to make the government take notice; They were led by Emmeline Pankhurst.

WSPU

What did the WSPU do? The Suffragettes held mass-meetings; They sent deputations to 10 Downing Street; They began to interrupt debates in the House of Parliament, heckling from the Ladies Gallery; When they were still not given the vote, they turned to violence; They began chaining themselves to railings; Next they started to smash windows; Then they began a campaign of setting Post Boxes on fire;

More violence After 1910, when they were still not given the vote, the WSPU increased their violence; They burned down churches and bombed Lloyd George’s house; In 1913, Emily Davison threw herself under the king’s horse on Derby Day; She was killed.

What did the Suffragettes say about their violent tactics? “We have tried every way, but we have had contempt poured upon us. Violence is the only way that we have to get the power that every citizen should have.” Emmeline Pankhurst, speaking in 1912.

The Reaction to the Suffragettes Many men opposed women getting the vote; In 1875, a ‘Committee for Maintaining the Integrity of the Franchise’ had been formed in Parliament, which was made up of MPs who did not want women to be able to vote; These men deliberately “talked out” bills presented in Parliament, to give women the vote; The violent action of the Suffragettes turned many more men and some women against the issue of votes for women; Once you have Suffragettes smashing windows, and burning down churches and attacking works of art, people who had no real opinion on the issue of votes for women turned against them, which is, perhaps, not surprising; Posters ridiculing the Suffragettes were made.

An argument against votes for women. “Women do not have the experience to be able to vote. But there are other problems as well: the way women have been educated, their lack of strength, and the duties they have. If women did gain the vote, it would mean that most voters would then be women. What would be the effect of this on the government? I agree that there are some issues upon which the votes of women might be helpful. But these cases do not cover the whole of political life. What is the good of talking about the equality of the sexes? The first whiz of the bullet, the first boom of the cannon and where is the equality of the sexes then?” From a speech made in 1912 by Lord Curzon, a Conservative leader.

What happened to the Suffragettes who were arrested? They claimed that they were political prisoners and so should be given special rights, as laid down by the law; The Prison system treated them as common criminals and so the women started to go on hunger strike; At first, when the women became weak they were released, then the government introduced force-feeding!

Force Feeding The women were strapped into a chair; A tube was forced down their throats, so that food could then be poured down; Some women had their health ruined for the rest of their lives... it was incredibly brutal. There was an outcry in the country and a new wave of support for the suffragettes

The Cat and Mouse Act, 1913 In 1913, as a response to all the criticism of force-feeding, the government introduced a new act; This Suffragettes on hunger-strike, had to be released when they became ill. Then, when they had eaten and recovered, they were to be arrested again, to finish of their sentence. This Act (1913) was nicknamed the ‘Cat and Mouse Act’.

The First World War When the war broke out the WSPU called of their action; During the war the women worked alongside men to defeat the enemy. They joined the armed forces as cook, carpenters and drivers. They served as nurses on the Western Front. At home, they worked in arms factories, and as firemen, bus drivers and navvies. The Land Army worked in the fields Without the women of Britain, the war could not have been won.

End of the war and votes for women In May 1917 the Representation of the People Bill was debated in the Commons and passed by a large majority; In 1918 it became law, giving the vote to women over the age of 30.

Your Task Use the information from the slides and your own research to complete a detailed booklet on the Suffragettes; Your booklet must have:- 1.A front cover; 2.A contents page; 3.Information on the background and position of Victorian women; 4.Information on the NUWSS; 5.Information on the WSPU and Mrs Pankhurst; 6.The methods used by the WSPU; 7.The reaction to the violence of the WSPU; 8.What happened when the war broke out; 9.You also must include illustrations; 10.Finally, you should include your opinion on the Suffragettes.