The Suffragettes

Causes

Throughout the 19th century a series of Great Reform Acts gave more men the vote, educated middle class women became frustrated. Women were allowed to vote in some local elections but there wasn’t the right for women to vote nationally. There had been some progress for women, Richard Pankhurst had written the 1870 Matrimonial Property Act which allowed women control over their property after marriage. In 1897 the NUWSS became the first national group for women’s suffrage.

Development

Throughout the first part of the 20th century the three main women’s suffrage groups pushed the Government for change. The NUWSS pledged to support MPs who supported women’s suffrage. Many people were persuaded by the Suffragettes campaign but many felt they were damaging the cause as their violence put many politicians off supporting their cause. The Liberal Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman from 1905-1908 had supported the Suffragettes and encouraged them to pester. They responded by heckling members of parliament during speeches and stood outside of the House of Commons and held demonstrations. In 1912 they started a stone throwing campaign and smashed hundreds of windows. Over 200 Suffragettes were arrested, these court cases gained lots of publicity for their cause.

In 1911 it looked like the Government were going to allow votes for women when parliament voted to support this, this was not passed in 1912 when Prime Minister Asquith changed his mind. In response the Suffragists launched a pilgrimage from Carlisle to London involving thousands of people. After the failure to pass the law the Suffragettes decided to increase their campaign of violence, with arson attacks and blowing up buildings. In 1913 parliament again tried to pass votes for women, which failed. The most famous example of Suffragette violence happened the same year, when Emily Davison died at the Epsom Derby in June. Whether her death was deliberate or not has been debated but what is undisputed is that she became the first Suffragette martyr.

The Cat and Mouse Act was also introduced in 1913. The many Suffragettes in prison for their violent acts went on hunger strike to gain publicity to their cause. The Government felt they couldn’t allow these women to die, many were middle class with well-connected husband or fathers. The Prisoners [Temporary Discharge for Ill Health] Act in 1913. This meant the women weak from starvation would be released from prison to be returned once rehabilitated. Due to its temporary nature this became known as the Cat and Mouse Act.

Consequences

Many people were angry at the Suffragette violence and felt it hurt their cause and supported the argument that women were to irrational and unstable for the vote. Many people, including the Prime Minister from 1908-1914 Herbert Asquith felt a woman’s place was in the home. When WW1 broke out in 1914 the NUWSS and WSPU both suspended their campaign to support the war effort. Women’s work in the war effort gained them the nickname ‘angel of the factory’. The Women’s Freedom League were pacifists and so refused to support the war effort.

Most historians believe that it was women’s work during the war that helped them to get the vote. They worked in factories, in the front line in axillary roles, joined the Women’s Land Army and took on many higher profile roles. These roles showed women could make clear headed decisions and handle challenging roles. The amount of women who managed war work and family also challenged the notion that women were abandoning their roles.

Significance

Short: Many men who had been away fighting the war had lost their right to vote (you had to be resident for 2 years) and so a change in the law was needed. Most of the Government had now come to the view that some women should be allowed the vote. In 1917 the Representation of the People Act was passed allowing all men over the age of 21 the vote and all women over 30 – over 21 if they owned property. In 1928 all women were given the vote equal to men.

Long: The campaign for women’s suffrage inspired the later campaigns for equal pay and women’s liberation. These campaigns led to the Equal Pay Act in 1975, divorce Reform (1969 and 71) and the Sex Discrimination Act. Women legally now have equal rights to men but women’s pay is still lower today on average than men.