suffragette

• • Emmeline Pankhurst was a NUWSS member who became tired of the slow progress and formed the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia in 1903
• • They had the motto ‘deeds not words’ and wanted to use more militant tactics to breathe new life into the campaign – disrupting meetings, heckling MPs, chalking slogans on streets.
• • In 1905 they made headlines when Sir Edward Grey, a government minister, was heckled noisily and the two WSPU members responsible were arrested following a struggle and prisoned – the Daily Mail nicknamed them The Suffragettes.
• When anti-women’s suffrage HH Asquith became Prime Minister in 1908, the Suffragettes entered their ‘wild period’ as a protest

  • They smashed windows, poured acid into letterboxes, carried out arson attacks, sent letter bombs and security was tightened up across the country
• Suffragette Marion Dunlop started a hunger strike campaign in prison designed to embarrass the government if or when a Suffragette died in their care – women were violently force fed by doctors through tubes
• In June 1913, Suffragette Emily Davison died after running out in front of the King’s Horse Anmer at the Epsom Derby whilst waving a flag of Green, White & Violet.
• ANALYSIS (FOR)

  • The Suffragettes succeeded in their aim of publicity; they regularly made national headlines, were talked about in parliament and were almost unavoidable through their violent methods.
  • The death of the first martyr Emily Davison gained a lot of sympathy from the British public – many people felt sorry for them and felt that the campaign was getting out of hand.
• ANALYSIS (AGAINST)

  • Suffragettes actually held back progress for women because they reinforced the idea that women were irresponsible, immature and unable to cope with responsibility.
• EVALUATION (AGAINST)

  • Many MPs were furious at the law-breaking campaign of the WSPU and changed their mind about giving women the vote – Lord Robert Cecil said in parliament the Suffragettes had brought disgrace upon women.