History Womens Suffrage Essay Plan

Introduction

Coming into late 19th Century Britain, women faced severe social and legal prejudice that excluded them from most political decisions. They were seen as intellectually and emotionally unfit for participation in the modern democracy, and were often regarded as the property of men, with the 1832 Reform Act explicitly banning them from voting. However, by 1918, some women over the age of 30 gained the vote through the Representation of the People Act.

Suffragette - K

The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst adopted significantly more militant tactics to gain attention and support from the population. They would smash windows, chain themselves to railings and commit various acts of arson, such as the burning of the Tea Houses at Kew on the 20^th February 1913. An example of the more extreme efforts of the suffragettes is Emily Davison, who at the 1913 Epsom Derby threw herself in front of the king’s horse whilst possibly trying to pin a WSPU flag to it, she was subsequently hit and killed.

Suffragette - E

Suffragette movement formed in 1903 and was stopped during the war, whereas war efforts were the only real suffrage movement in the 4 years leading to the ROPA.

Suffragist - K

The first major push for political equality was with the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) formed in 1897, led by Millicent Fawcett, who campaigned through petitions, pamphlets and public meetings. Furthermore, the suffragists lobbied various MPs such as Keir Hardie to increase political range. The NUWSS had reached a following of over 50,000 members by 1914 and were very well respected for their reasoned approaches to politics.

Suffragist - E

Many suffrage campaigns had begun in the late 1800’s, and into the 1900s brought with them very little change. Women’s war work brought about change in only 4 years though.

Women’s War Work - K

Over 1 million women worked in munitions factories like in HM Factory, Gretna, and the Woolwich Arsenal. There were also around 12,000 women working agriculturally through the Women’s Land Army, growing food for the nation, helping significantly with battling hunger throughout the war. Women’s roles in transport also grew massively, with almost 100,000 women taking up jobs in transport over the course of WW1.

Women’s War Work - E

Only effort that was truly active during the war and thusly in the run up to the ROPA being passed.

Changing Attitudes - K

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a gradual shift in how women were perceived. The Education Acts of the 1870s and onwards allowed girls to attend school, meaning that they were viewed as more educated and intelligent than before. The 1870 Married Women’s Property Act also improved women’s legal independence by allowing women to be the legal owners of money they earned and inherit property.

Changing Attitudes - E

Queen Victoria, on the subject of women’s enfranchisement, said that the entire movement was a ‘mad, wicked folly’. This shows that societal attitudes had not changed very much, and incredibly influential women were against it, making it almost redundant as a point.

International Influences - K

By 1918, several countries had already enfranchised women. New Zealand granted women the vote in 1893, followed by Australia in 1902, Finland in 1906, Norway in 1913, and some parts of Canada (11 states from 1916-1919). These examples showed that female suffrage did not lead to societal collapse, which undermined many British arguments against reform, leading to a greater progression towards reform as it helped convinced many members of parliament. These international developments were somewhat embarrassing for the British government and helped to normalise the idea of female suffrage and made it more of a moral obligation, leading to further progression in passing the reform.

International Influences - E

British population was undereducated on the events happening outside the UK, therefore not many cared too much about it.