suffragist

• • The National Union of Womens’ Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was founded in 1897 under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett and campaigned for womens’ suffrage.
• • They believed in moderate, peaceful tactics or ‘peaceful persuasion’ to win the vote for middle-class women, and were nicknamed ‘The Suffragists’
• • They used a campaign of meetings, pamphlets, petitions and parliamentary bills which were introduced by sympathetic backbench MPs.
• • Their membership was around 53,000 by 1914 and they reached agreements of mutual support with some male Trade Unions and the new Labour Party.
• ANALYSIS (FOR)

  • The suffragists impressed many British people, including thousands of men, and showed that they were intelligent, capable and trustworthy women.
  • The NUWSS were successful in winning the support and respect of many important MPs and future PM David Lloyd George, and have been credited with turning opinion in parliament towards women's suffrage.
• ANALYSIS (AGAINST)

  • Many historians have claimed that the suffragist campaign was tedious and slow-moving and was easily ignored by politicians and the suffragists were never able to achieve the publicity of the Suffragettes.
• EVALUATION (AGAINST)

  • NUWSS membership was only so high in 1914 because many women had become disillusioned with the Suffragettes during their ‘wild period’ and switched groups.