THE BRITISH

SU

FFRAGETES

BACKGROUND In the nineteenth

century women had no place in national politics.

They could not stand as candidates for Parliament. They were not even allowed to vote.

A woman's role was raising children and taking care of the home.

SUFFRAGISTS A group of feminists started a movement

for women's rights called “The Cause”. It had no particular political focus.

The first suffragists movements wanted the vote for middle class women. They believed they would achieve it using peaceful tactics - non-violent demonstrations and petitions to the Parliament.

SUFFRAGETTES

EMMELINE PANKHURST

She studied in Paris and at the age of 20, she married Dr Richard Pankhurst, a liberal lawyer 24 years her senior.

Dr Pankhurst was a socialist and a supporter of radical causes, including women's rights and had a place of great respect in the Independent Labour Party.

WOMEN’S SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNION

Mrs Pankhurst believed that young working class women would draw attention to the cause.

Her daughters, Sylvia and Christabel, also joined the group.

The motto of the suffragettes was deeds not words and from 1912 onwards they became more militant and violent in their methods of campaign.

WSPU As peaceful methods didn’t seem to work, the W.S.P.U. began to break the law to gain publicity and support. They disrupted political meetings of

leading Liberal politicians and harassed MP’s.

They began a campaign of vandalism – smashing shop windows, painted slogans on buildings, cut telephone wires and slashed paintings in art galleries.

They chained themselves to railings near Parliament in London.

They set fire to letter boxes and empty public buildings

Many women were imprisoned for breaking the law.

Whilst in prison some women went on hunger strike to draw attention to their campaign.

The prison authorities fed these women by force, although this was dangerous to their health.

In a period of eighteen months, Emmeline Pankhurst, who was 50 years old, endured 10 of these hunger strikes.

EMILY DAVIDSON On 4th of June 1913 the famous Derby horse

race was run at Epsom Racecourse. King George V and Queen Mary were there

as the King’s horse, was running in the race. During the race a suffragette named Emily

Davidson passed under the rails and rushed on to the racecourse to attract attention on women’s protests

The first horse missed her, but she ran rightinto the track of theKing’s horse and died.

In 1914, when the war broke out, Emmeline Pankhurst stopped the campaign and urged women to support the war instead.

In 1918, many of the MPs who had opposed votes for women had been replaced by younger men who supported it and things started to change.

THE PANKHURSTS PROVIDED A STRONG EXAMPLE OF WOMEN FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS. THIS HAS INSPIRED FEMINISTS AND WOMEN POLITICIANS EVER SINCE.