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Essay: The Suffragists

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  • Published: 15 July 2022*
  • Last Modified: 22 July 2024
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  • Words: 915 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 4 (approx)
  • Tags: Suffragette essays

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Many years passed without significant change until the Reform Act of 1832 when Henry Hunt proposed a political franchise that recognised equality for men and women which gave them the opportunity to vote. He was defeated, however middle class men were granted access into the parliamentary system. (Simkin, 2015) Chartism was the response to the inequalities of the First Reform Act, their protests were intended on being peaceful but turned violent causing uproar in society. (Roberts, 2011) Women were becoming increasingly agitated by their inferior social status during the 1850’s as change was not forthcoming compared to men and as a result they rebelled against their gender roles and began forming committees and organised campaigns, such as ‘The Women’s Suffrage Committee’, formed by Barbara Bodichon in 1866. The committee put forward a petition for women’s suffrage and collected 1,500 signatures, it was presented to the House of Commons by John Stuart Mill in 1866, this was known as the First Reform Act requesting enfranchisement to all householders regardless of sex. The request was unsuccessful; however, in 1867 the Second Reform Act was granted, which gave enfranchisement to men, women were outraged and every year from 1870 put forward the vote to Parliament. (Parliament, n.d)

Women who formed committees called themselves ‘the Suffragists’ and were of working and middle class status, it was seldom that an upper class female would participate as they were content with their social standards and it would be disrespectful to step outside of their privileged status to be seen approving protest and social change. The Suffragists campaigned for the vote to be granted because their disenfranchisement status gave them very few rights and it reinforced the idea of ‘the angel in the house’ and subordination to men. They believed that protesting with moral force, dignity, respect and in a non-violent manner would achieve a favourable outcome. (British Library, n.d) The Suffragists campaigned for many years until 1903 when the Suffragettes formed. Through-out their time numerous groups formed, such as the National Union of Women’s Suffrage lead by Millicent Fawcett, although their proposal for the vote was not granted, by 1900 there was evidence to suggest that Parliament was in favour of women’s suffrage as some proposals had been passed, such as two Married Women’s Property Acts in 1870 and 1882. (British Broadcasting Co-operation, 2014).

The suffragettes recognised the requirement for militant action and began chaining themselves to the Prime Ministers railings, this lead to Emmeline Pankhurst breaking away from the Suffragists and set up the Women’s Social and Political Union, their slogan being ‘Deeds Not Words’. The French Revolution and Chartism set an example for radical action being the only action to gain results. By 1909 the union had branches all over Britain and published a newspaper called ‘Votes for Women’ which sold 20,000 copies per week, emphasising the diverse support for the cause. (British Broadcasting Co-operation, 2014). In 1908 the Liberal government was elected into Parliament and Herbert Asquith was elected as Prime Minister, the Suffragettes were hopeful they would provide support, however Asquith was reactionary and an anti-Suffragist. More force was needed, windows were smashed and arson attacks were carried out, which lead to violent riots and in 1913 Emily Wilding threw herself under the Kings horse at Derby racecourse killing herself in protest of women’s emancipation. (Chevalier, n.d)

Victorian society was extremely patriarchal, this reserved privilege and power for men and gave them social mobility as male figures dominated parliament and local government authorities. This would suggest that the ideology of characteristics influencing gender related working roles could be viewed as persuasive and unethical and there is evidence to suggest through suffragette protests of gender inequality and the change that resulted in the 1900’s women had been marginalised in society because they had been perceived to be the weaker sex relating to their ‘natural’ characteristics and the minority in comparison to men. However, there was no evidence that they could not successfully complete manual labour. (Marsh, 2016)

In 1914 the First World War was declared and suffragette movement was suspended, highlighting that suffragette women were far from unreasonable. The war changed the industrial work force as men were recruited for the armed forces and over 600,000 women took on male-dominated roles, working in hazardous conditions with asbestos, making tyres, at coal mines and at munitions factories, wartime conditions gave women a variety of opportunities. (Brosnan, 2016) The introduction of the conscription Act in 1916 made roles available to women that were reserved for men as the need for workers became urgent, women were employed as railway guards, bus conductors and within the police. Women prevailed in male dominated work and showed resilience and strength both emotionally and physically, this made their argument for the vote more credible. Despite equal duties, women did not receive equal pay, this apparent lack of social equality was the cause of some of the earliest demands for equal pay. In 1918 the war ended and the Representation of the People Act was introduced, which gave men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30 the vote. (London Metropolitan University, n.d) Despite women’s efforts during the war society still marginalised them and expected them to return to the domestic feminine idea, however women wanted more. Suffrage groups viewed the war as an inevitability for which they had to make sacrifices and Millicent Fawcett commented that the war revolutionised women’s position in society. (National Archives, n.d) Male politician and feminist, John Stuart Mill made his opinion clear on female emancipation.

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