The Rise of Militant Suffragette Tactics

In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the motto "deeds not words." The WSPU, also known as the Suffragettes, employed more aggressive tactics to draw attention to the cause of women's suffrage.

Vocabulary: Suffragettes - Members of women's organizations in the early 20th century who advocated for the right to vote through militant tactics.

The Suffragettes engaged in various disruptive and violent acts, including:

• Blowing up post boxes
• Smashing windows
• Chaining themselves to railings
• Slashing paintings in the National Gallery
• Attacking MPs

When imprisoned, many Suffragettes chose to go on hunger strikes. This led to force-feeding by authorities, which in turn generated public sympathy for their cause.

Highlight: The "Cat and Mouse Act" allowed authorities to release hunger-striking Suffragettes when they became ill, only to re-arrest them once they had recovered.

The militant tactics of the Suffragettes had mixed results:

• They gained significant publicity, with their campaign being discussed almost daily in Parliament
• Many MPs viewed them as terrorists who couldn't be trusted with the vote
• Their actions outraged and embarrassed some politicians
• However, they kept the issue of women's suffrage at the forefront of public discourse

The Early Stages of the Women's Suffrage Movement

The fight for women's voting rights in Britain began in an era when women were widely considered second-class citizens. Prior to 1918, virtually no women could vote in elections, as men viewed them as inferior and incapable of engaging in political debate.

However, some progress was being made in women's rights during the late 19th century:

Highlight: The Married Women's Property Act of 1884 gave women the right to own property from before marriage. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1884 denied husbands the right to lock up their wives as punishment.

Women's educational opportunities were also expanding:

Example: The Education Act of 1870 made formal education compulsory for children ages 5-12. By 1900, 97% of women were able to read and write as a result.

These developments showed society beginning to view women as more equal to men. However, there were still many examples of husbands abusing and controlling their wives.

The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), led by Millicent Fawcett, represented well-educated, middle-class women in the suffrage movement. They used peaceful methods such as:

• Producing pamphlets and magazines
• Writing to MPs
• Organizing rallies

Highlight: The NUWSS showed that women could run a well-organized, effective campaign and were capable of understanding complex political issues.

While the NUWSS gained some MP support and demonstrated women's capabilities in public life, they were often ignored by those opposed to women's suffrage. This led to the formation of more militant groups.