The Movement for Women’s Suffrage

Attitudes Towards Women

1800s

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

All women are basically savage, and the desire for the vote is simply an outbreak of emotional insanity (madness)

(Professor of Psychology)

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

Women are Too Impulsive to vote (A Male MP)

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

How many of these giddy creatures (women) will know how to use the vote wisely.

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

Women are for the most part hopelessly ignorant of politics. They believe everything they are told and their opinions flicker like a candle in the wind

(The Prime Minister)

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

One would not be far from the truth if one said that there were no good women, but only women who lived under the influence of good men!

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

To please men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect. These are women’s duties and these are what they should be taught from childhood on.

(A Frenchman)

A Women’s job was to…

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

Boys are to be happy; girls are to make boys happy.

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

Wives are expected to stay at home and confine themselves to domestic duties and social graces – playing music for example.

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

A working man’s wife was to look after the home, to mind the baby and to do the washing.

What Some Men Thought of Women in The 1800s

The presence of a young female in the operating theatre is an outrage.

(A Doctor)

Advice On How To Chose A Wife (1848)

“Look out for the buxom, bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked, full-breasted, bouncing lass who can darn stockings, mend trousers, make her own frocks, command a regiment of pots and kettles, feed pigs, chop wood, milk cows, wrestle with the boys and be a lady with all in company. This is just the sort of girl for any worthy man to marry and beware of these fussing, moping, lolling, screwed-up, wasp-waisted, pretty-faced, consumption-mortgaged, music-murdering, novel-devouring daughters of fashion and idleness. They are no more fit for matrimony than a pullet is fit to look after 14 chickens!”

Women in the 19th Century• As we have already seen, women in the

19th Century had a very difficult life.• They had no rights and were treated like

second-class citizens.

Keeping women in their place

The branks in use

Keeping women in their place Wife battering was not taken seriously…

A cartoon in a newspaper from 1911 attacksmale domination

Keeping women in their place

Attitudes towards women

The female dentist is not really taken seriously.

Males often had very bad attitudes towards women and their abilities

The Bible…• Quotes from the

Bible were even used to show that men were better than women!

“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house” (Psalms ch. CXXVIII, v. 3)

Job Discrimination

Attitudes towards women

Women and the law• In legal terms, women were treated

as children• When a woman married, her income

and property were transferred to the husband.

• Divorce was almost impossible.• In divorce cases, husbands almost

always got custody of the children.

Typical 19th Century Women's Dress

Tight corset to “pinch” the waistline (19 inches was the most desirable size of waist)

OtherProblems

Women were expected to dress like this, whatever the occasion!

Even when horse riding.

A hockey dress1906

Required Skirt Lengths

The Dangers of Corset wearing

Lack of EducationBefore 1870, education was not available to every child – so many girls went without.

Men used this asAn excuse toCall women

“Stupid” and not capable of having

rights

Upper Class Ladies - A Boring Life?

• The life of an upper or middle class women was very restricted. Their chief duty was to be obedient and ornamental, to set off the manliness and authority of their husbands.

• Husbands would not allow their wives to get jobs as it made them look bad! Maids looked after the house, so rich women spent a lot of the time bored.

A Boring Life?

Working Class Women

Girls and women employed in factory work – doing low paid and unskilled jobs

Working Class WomenMany worked in the “Sweated Industries” in small workshops that were not covered by usual working laws. Women (like below) sewing clothes usually had to work very long hours, in cramped, ill-lit cellars for as little as a penny an hour.

Women in the 19th Century

Improvements

In Women’s Rights(Social-economic factors)

ImprovementsFrom 1870 women could attend school – men could no longer claim women to be “stupid”.

The expanding schools also gave women new opportunities as teachers – but still paid less than men.

Improvements• A famous nurse who

improved the standard of nursing and hospital care. She also made hospitals cleaner.

• Gave women more respect amongst doctors and encouraged women to become nurses.

Florence Nightingale.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

+

Sophia Jex Blake

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex Blake attempted to become doctors in Edinburgh in early 1860s. Despite huge protests from male students they finished their course – but were not allowed to sit the final exam (so could not become doctors).

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

I had to go abroad to

qualify as a doctor!

She later returned to Britain where she ran a clinic in London that specialised in the treatment of women. For the first time women could get sympathetic medical treatment from a doctor of their own sex.

Improvements

Improvements - Women and the law

• 1857 – right to divorce husband (but lost all property and some future earnings)

• 1882 – a married woman can keep her own possessions.

• 1883 – women can have custody of children after a divorce.

A Poster highlighting why many women thought that they should have the right to vote!

Now that their legal status had improved, many women turned their attention to winning the right to vote!

Women’s Suffrage Societies

The Suffragists

Founded in 1867 – just after the second reform act – became a national organisation in 1897

The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies

The NUWSS

The Suffragists

The Suffragists

Lydia Becker

The Suffragists were a peaceful organisation that campaigned for women's rights as well as votes for women.

Their leader was Lydia Becker.

Millicent Fawcett

When Lydia Becker died sheWas replaced by Millicent

Fawcett

The Suffragists• 50,000 members by 1914• Gradually began to change attitudes…

Letters

Petitions

Newspapers

The Suffragists• The peaceful tactics of the Suffragists won

them much support in their campaign for votes for women. They even had male members and support from some Liberal MPs. However, their campaign had still not won the right to vote for women, and some thought that their campaign wasn’t working…

Suffragists• Facts• 50,000 members (including men).• Respectable Campaign Tactics.• Got support of the Labour Party in 1912.• Supported War effort in 1914.• Didn’t achieve much media coverage.• Didn’t support votes for all women (only

propertied women).

In groups, explain why these facts helped women get the vote, or not

The Suffragettes

The Green, White and Purple flag of the Suffragettes

The Women's Social and Political Union

The WSPU

The Suffragettes

Purple stood for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.

The colours of the flag were very important…

The Suffragettes

Click on picture for video

The Suffragettes

The Suffragettes were a more aggressive group that campaigned for women’s suffrage. They formed on 1903 when they became unhappy with the lack of success of the Suffragists.

Their leader was Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst.

She was assisted by her two daughters

Sylvia Pankhurst

Christabel Pankhurst

“Deeds not Words”This was the main slogan of the suffragettes. Clearly showing their intention to act rather than continue to debate with politicians.

This is the banner from the Hammersmith WSPU that would be carried during demonstrations

At first suffragette tactics were not violent!

Demonstrations

Held Marches and Rallies.

A spoiled census paper from 1911 - “No persons here, only women”

Disrupted political meetings

Chained themselves to railings

Police could not easily stop them shouting their votes for women slogans!

Conciliation Bill and its failure• 1910- conciliation

bill was drafted under Asquith

• Bill was suspended which resulted in further campaigns

• Failed in 1912 to get majority

• WSPU committed to programme of violence

Conciliation Bill and its failure

• ‘wild period’ paintings slashed, premises firebombed, death of Emily Davison

• Hunger strikes• Did this do more

harm than good?• Men’s role

A toffee hammer

Small enough to be hidden in a woman’s coat sleeves but strong enough to break windows.

After 1911 the suffragette campaign became militant (violent) suffragettes were prepared to break the law for their cause.

Suffragettes often attacked and vandalised paintings in museums or art galleries

Suffragettes took their frustration out on the upper class men – who they saw as stopping them from getting the vote – by pouring acid onto the greens of golf courses to destroy the grass.

Acid was also poured into mail boxes. Some were even bombed

Important buildings were firebombed – it was hoped that the financial cost of repairing them would make men take notice

As many of the suffragettes turned political protest into violence they broke the law, were arrested and often sentenced to time in prison!

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst

Miss Christable Pankhurst

This is a photograph from police records showing two of the Pankhurst’s in prison

Some Suffragettes who were sent to prison went on hunger strike as a form of protest Like this person, a tube was inserted up her nose and then down her throat. Liquidised food was poured down to make sure they ate.The government could not let them starve, as some starved themselves to death!

Sometimes this was done very violently, was very painful and risked serious injury!

The government were seen as brutal torturers of women. This won a lot of sympathy for the suffragettes

The Prisoners Temporary

Discharge Act1913

• Women on hunger strike were let out of prison when their health started to suffer.

• They were given time to recover their strength.

• After a week or two they would be brought back into the prison to continue their sentence.

The Death of Emily Davison

Tragic Accident or Suicide?

4th June 1913

The Death of Emily Davison

In the picture she is graduating from university with a first-class honours degree in English Language.

She was also a private tutor, teaching the children of wealthy families in their own homes.

What does this tell you about the kind of person that she was?

Emily Davison throws herself in front of the King’s Horse at the Derby 1913. She never regained consciousness and died from her

injuries

Click on picture for link to video

Emily Davison’s Funeral

The Death of Emily DavisonEmily Davison became a martyr - someone who voluntarily suffers death for refusing to give up their beliefs. Because of this, many people joined the suffragette cause.

Emily Davison Documentary

Defiance of PoliticiansIt was impossible for the government to be seen as giving in to violence!

What would happen if they did?

So for as long as women used violence – it looked like votes for women would not be achieved

All of the good work done by the Suffragists to convince people about their cause is being undone very quickly!

Suffragette Conclusion• The WSPU (or Suffragettes) were a

radical group that campaigned for votes for women. Although they started with relatively peaceful tactics they became militant (violent) after 1911. However, despite their violent methods and the publicity that they brought, women had still not been given the right to vote by the time WW1 started in 1914!

Impact of the Suffragettes Conclusion

• The Suffragettes main achievement was keeping the Campaign in the public eye and in the minds of the politicians. But their violent tactics made many think that women were unsuitable for the vote. A leading politician at the time claimed, “their cause has marched backwards” showing the damage that they did to the votes for women campaign.

OPINION LINES

Women and the War

“The War Effort”

Women “At Home”By the time war was declared (1914), the Liberal Government and the Suffragettes appeared to be the worst of enemies. But, this soon changed…

Emmeline Pankhurst

We will support the government in their war

effort. We will call off our militant tactics and protests.

We will use our skills as campaigners to recruit

women for the war effort.

This won them a lot of respect!

An example of a recruitment poster for women during ww1

Women worked in munitions factories, filling shells and bullets with gunpowder, assembled detonators and polished time fuses.

Women were encouraged to enrol for munitions work…because it was a really important job!

Munitions Factory WorkersMunitions work was very popular – many women felt that they were doing their bit to help win the war!

The pay was also good. Women could get between £1.50 and £5 per week (compared to an average wage of £1.05 for industrial work before the war)

Munitions Factory WorkersBy 1918 – nearly 1 million females were employed in munitions factories in the UK.

But, the chemicals in TNT caused severe health problems for many women. Some affected internal organs such as the kidney causing the women's skin to turn yellow (canaries).

About 400 died as a result.

Women’s Land ArmyBecause many farmers (often young fit men) had gone off to fight, women were required to work on the farms to keep the country supplied with the food it needed to survive and win the war.

Another example of a recruitment poster for the Women’s Land Army

By the end of the war (1918), 228,000 women were employed in agriculture - most of them members of the Women’s Land Army.

Transport Workers

In this picture, women are learning to drive trams in London in 1918.

Women helped to keep the country moving by becoming bus drivers, station porters and conductors

Transport Workers

A female conductor on a London Bus

Women became police officers during WW1. many young men were away fighting so women were used to keep law and order.

Female police officers, 1915

Women even delivered the post!

Women at the Front

• More than 25,000 women went to work at the Frontline.

• They worked as far afield as Europe, Asia and Africa and did a variety of different jobs.

Women at the Front

Volunteer NursesWomen formed Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) and became nurses to tend to the injured soldiers.

Running Soup Kitchens

Women joined the armed forces and worked as drivers, mechanics and secretaries

Consequences of Work at the Front

• Being so close to a war zone was obviously a major risk for the women to take.

• Some drowned when their ship sunk!• Some died of disease.• Others were taken prisoner by the

enemy.• Or, were wounded or killed in German

attacks.

OPINION LINES

The Influence of Other Nations

Table of Women’s Suffrage

Norway

=

Denmark

+ 1907=

1911Portugal

Finland

=1905

The first ever female MPs in the world, elected in Finland’s parliamentary elections 1907.

Table of Women’s SuffrageEven worse for Britain…

1893=New Zealand

Australia

=1902Sent letters to the British Government telling them how good it was that women now had the vote.

• The issue with New Zealand and Australia granting women the right to vote was that both countries were a part of the British Empire

• Britain (supposedly) brought democracy to these countries and modernised them

• Now, in comparison, Britain looked backward and undemocratic in front of the whole world!

Table of Women’s SuffrageEven worse for Britain…

1893=New Zealand

Australia

=1902

Germany

=1918Universal suffrage for men and women outlined in plans for Weimar constitution which wasn’t confirmed until 1919.

The Vote “At Last”

The Vote at lastWomen were finally given the right to vote in the UK when the government passed the Representation of the People Act.

This Act also (for the first time) gave the right to vote to all men over the age of 21 – regardless of social class.

One of the first women to use the vote in Britain.

Women and the Vote.• However, Only women over the age of 30

were given the right to vote.• They also had to have property (be a

householder or married to one) or be educated (with a university degree).

• This meant that many working class women still did not have the right to vote!

However, it wasn’t until 1928 (ten years later) that the Conservative Government gave women equal voting rights with men. In 1928 all adults over the age of 21 could vote in Britain.

Voting at 18!• In 1969, another Representation of the

People Act gave the vote to everyone over the age of 18!

Final Thinking PointWere the Suffragettes right to use such violent tactics?

OPINION LINES

Higher Essay

How important was the contribution of women during World War I as a reason why the majority of women gained the right to vote in 1918?

Higher Suffragette Quotes• “The prospect of votes for women seemed

remote at the end of 1909. The Prime Minister and senior politicians were by now openly hostile to the women’s demands…[violent tactics of Suffragettes] had alienated the more cautious sympathisers”. Diane Atkinson, Votes for Women (1988).

• "Their cause has marched backwards" – Winston Churchill.

• It is hard to see what the suffragettes had to show by 1914 for ten years of campaigning. On the other hand, they had hardened attitudes against them in Parliament and the Trades Unions.” Sean Lang, Parliamentary Reform (1999).

• “In spite of their mistakes, the militants revitalised the women’s suffrage movement. Something more than the traditional constitutional methods was needed” Constance Rover: Women's Suffrage and Party Politics (1967).

Higher Suffragette Quotes

• But for every suffragette there were always dozens of non-militant suffragists. Some would argue – including me – that it was the moderates of the NUWSS, led by Millicent Fawcett, who actually won the vote.” Joyce Marlow, Votes for Women (2000).

Higher Suffragette Quotes