ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦- 𝑆𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑠ꨄ

• Women's main roles in society before 1900

  To be a wife and mother
• Women were seen as not having the intelligence and mental capacity for politics
• Most women did not work but those that did could only worked as maids or in factories
• Women had a limited education and had limited rights over their own money and property
• Until the late 1800's all of the woman's money belonged to her father/husband and only a man could divorce their wife
• Socially women were seen as second class to a man
• Emily Wilding Davison


  A Suffragette who believed that in order for women to gain the vote someone would need to die for the cause
• What Emily Davison did


  1. On 4th June 1913 Emily was trampled under the King's horse at the Epsom Derby, whilst attempting to pin a Suffragette flag to the horse

  2. She died days later as a result of her injuries
• Suffragettes' claim about Emily Davison


  She was a martyr, who meant to die for the cause as it is what she believed in so strongly. It showed her dedication and created sympathy
• Some believe that Emily Davison simply misjudged the speed of the horse, she had a return ticket on her and had not said goodbye to her family
• Hinder


  Many reacted negatively to the violence of the Suffragettes. The window smashing campaigning was hugely unpopular and only reinforced the idea that women were too emotional
• Hinder


  The attacks on MP's began to turn those MP's that supported them, such as Lloyd-George (Chancellor), against them
• Help


  The force-feeding campaign helped gain a lot of sympathy for the cause and turned people against the government for their treatment of the Suffragettes
• Help


  Even the Suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett believed that violent tactics had gained more support for the cause in three years than the Suffragists had in nine
• Terrorists


  The Suffragists used violent methods to achieve a political aim. The Suffragettes tried to cause fear and intimidation to get what they wanted
• Freedom fighters


  • They were fighting for political equality for women
  • The Suffragettes did not ever set out to kill or severely injure anyone
• Suffrage


  The right to vote in political elections
• Freedom fighter


  A person or group that battles against cruelty, injustice, being controlled and to gain freedom for people with similar views
• Martyr


  Someone who is willing to die for what they believe in, to give up their life for the cause
• Militant


  Favouring confrontational or violent methods in support of a political or social cause
• Hinder


  To make it difficult for someone to do something or for something to happen
• Emmeline Pankhurst


  The leader of the Suffragettes (WSPU)
• Millicent Fawcett


  The leader of the Suffragists (NUWSS)
• Emily Wilding Davison


  A Suffragette who was arrested multiple times for the cause. She is most famously known for throwing herself in front of the King's horse on Derby day 1913, in an attempt to pin a Suffragette flag to him
• Suffragists


  A group of women who joined together in 1897 to campaign for the right to vote (suffrage). They were peaceful protestors led by Millicent Fawcett who campaigned through marches, petitions, rallies and lobbying government
• Suffragettes


  Formed in 1903, they also wanted suffrage, but they were willing to campaign through using violent and militant methods to shock the public and raise awareness for the cause. They were led by Emmeline Pankhurst and they ran many campaigns such as: window breaking, bombing politicians' homes, hunger strikes and vandalism
• The Representation of the People Act was passed in 1918 although some credit the impact of the Suffragettes in politics
• Suffragists


  Groups that peacefully protested and campaigned for the right for women to vote
• Millicent Fawcett


  • Leader of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) formed in 1897
  • Came from a wealthy family
  • Attended private boarding school
  • Parents supported her education and believed women should attend university
  • Began taking interest in women's politics from 1865
  • Wrote letters to MPs and gave public speeches about women's political issues
  • Elected president of NUWSS in 1897
• NUWSS


  • Used tactics like petitions, writing letters to politicians, and giving speeches to raise awareness
  • Grew in membership over time but faced lack of progress and Parliament inaction
  • Some members became frustrated and wanted more aggressive action
• Suffragettes


  Groups that used direct action to campaign for women's suffrage
• Emmeline Pankhurst


  • Leader of the Women's Political Social Union (WSPU) formed in 1903
  • Came from a wealthy and politically active family
  • Attended her first suffrage meeting in 1872
  • Originally a member of the Labour Party but left due to disagreement over women's suffrage views
• WSPU


  • Used tactics like chaining themselves to railings, burning down homes of MPs, burning down churches, breaking shop windows
  • Faced a government crackdown with women banned from political meetings and imprisoned for violence
• On June 8, 1913, Emily Davison died after being trampled by the king's horse at the Derby in Epsom
• Emily Davison had a first-class degree from Oxford, was a teacher, and had faced many prison sentences for suffragette activities
• Many believed Emily Davison did not intend to die, as she had a return ticket from Epsom to London
• With the outbreak of World War 1

  Emmeline Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett temporarily stopped campaigning and encouraged women to join the war effort
• World War 1 drastically changed women's role in society, with many women going to work for the first time in various industries
• In 1918, a Bill was passed through Parliament that granted some women over 30 who owned property or were married to property owners the right to vote