Suffragettes

For:(TODIL)

Taxes - women had to pay taxes like men

Other countries such as New Zealand had already given women the vote

Democracy would only be achieved if woman had the vote

Improve women’s lives because only they would know how

Locally already involved with politics, could vote in local elections

Against: (WURM)

Wars women didn't fight in them

Unwanted by most women

Responsibilities were different, women would not be able to deal with the responsibility

Men such as beggars and criminals would also have to have the vote

• The Suffragists was a combination of different women's societies which joined together in 1897 to make the National Union of Women's Suffrage (NUWSS)
• Millicent Fawcett was their leader

What methods did they use?

Used peaceful methods:Gave out leaflets

• Organised petitions
• Set up meetings to get support
• At every election, they asked MPs what their view was on women getting the vote

• The Labour Party supported them
• Helped to raise public awareness and gradually began to presuade people
• Managed to get several suffrage bills proposed to Parliament between 1900 and 1914
• Kept women's suffrage in the public eye
• By 1914, it had 400 branches and 100,000 members
• Several male members
• Good at propaganda such as newspapers, petitions, letters to MPs, and rallies
• However, they failed to get the vote until after WW1
• Mainly middle class membership

• Set up by Emmeline Pankhurst
• The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)

What methods did they use?

• Caused a fuss at Liberal and Conservative meetings
• In response to Suffrage bills failing in 1907 and 1908, their campaign became more militant

This included:

• chaining themselves to the railings in Downing street
• Throwing stones throught the Prime Ministers window

After the failure of the Concilation Bill in 1911, they became even more violent with:

• Smashed windows
• Set fire to post boxes
• Bombed churches
• Cut telephone wires
• Slashed paintings
• Hunger Strikes

• They failed to get the vote by 1914
• Divided the women’s movement
• · Turned some MPs against female suffrage
• MPs didn't want to give in otherwise the Irish would use violence to get home rule and workers would use violent strikes to get more money
• Made sure the issue of female suffrage was never forgotten
• Effective campaigns – their newspaper ‘Votes for Women’ had a circulation of 40,000 by 1914
• People admired them because they suffered for their cause
• Gained sympathy from being force fe