The WSPU and the Liberal government 1906-14

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Why was the women's suffrage movement optimistic in 1906 that votes for women could soon be won?
Because most of the liberal party members agreed with women's suffrage and they won a landslide victory in 1906 after 20 years of conservative rule
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Did the liberal government of 1906 deliver on women's suffrage?
No- time after time the liberal government refused to support reform bills and in response to increased wspu militancy it restricted suffragette freedoms
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How did the liberal government react when the WSPU began its illegal activities?
They reacted by denying them democratic forms of protest.
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How did the Home Secretary, Herbert Gladstone, rationalise the restriction of WSPU freedoms?
He said that to compromise with such a group would be 'an exhibition of weakness in the face of these threats'
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What methods were used by the liberal government to silence the suffragettes?
Women forbidden to attend liberal meetings unless they had a signed ticket. They refused to meet deputations or accept petitions, banned meetings in public places and censored the press
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What happened in 1908 to a deputation of suffragettes?
they were refused a meeting with the prime minister and were then assaulted by the crowd that had gathered outside parliament- 2 women smashed windows at 10 downing street
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What were later incidents of window smashing usually a response to? An example of this..?
To government intransigence- e.g when Asquith rejected a 2nd conciliation bill for women's suffrage nov 1911 WSPU smashed windows in several gov. buildings in London
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How did the commissioner of police, directed by the Home office, restrict the freedoms of the suffrage movement?
Refused to allow suffragettes to hold meetings in any London parks and persuaded the management at the Albert hall not to let it out to suffragettes.
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What happened when the WSPU managed to hire another venue?
The owner of the hall was threatened with the withdrawal of his license.
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How else did the government target the WSPU?
Prosecuted the printers of 'the suffragette', raided the offices and homes of the WSPU members and eventually forced Christabel Pankhurst to flee to paris where she directed the movement from exile.
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What is an example of an event where the government acted even more harshly towards the WSPU?
Black friday, 18th Nov 1910
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Why did suffragettes march to the House of Commons on the 18th of November 1910?
In protest at the failure of the first conciliation bill, they wanted to enter parliament
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How did the police respond to the suffragette protest on black friday?
Harshly. Police recruited from the east end were not used to dealing with suffragettes and told not to arrest the women- instead the women were forced back- physically assaulted e.g breasts twisted and knees thrust in between their legs
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Who was held responsible for the notorious police violence on Black Friday?
Winston Churchill, home secretary in charge of law and order
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Between 1906 and 1914, how many suffragettes were imprisoned for breaking the law?
over 1000
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Initially, how were suffragette prisoners treated?
they were given 'first division' treatment: awarded status of political prisoners and were allowed to wear their own clothes and receive food parcels
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After 1908, how were suffragette prisoners treated?
They were placed in the 'second division' as the gov regarded them as criminals so they lost their privileges and were treated as ordinary prisoners
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What was life in prison like for suffragettes?
Bad. They had to remain silent, were locked in separate cells, forced to wear ill-fitting uniforms and were referred to by their prison numbers. Contact with the outside world was limited
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According to historians, why was this harsh regime designed?
To erode the suffragettes' sense of personal identity, undermining them
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How did the public respond to the harsh treatment of suffragettes- what was the gov. then forced to do?
They were sympathetic towards suffragettes- gov ruled in 1910 that suffragette prisoners should be allowed to receive visitors and letters, have books and their own clothes but did not have status of political prisoners
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In 1909 what did Wallace Dunlop do when imprisoned and what effect did this have on the suffrage movement?
She refused to be treated as a common criminal and went on hunger strike in order to secure her rights as a political prisoner- after 91 hours she was released. Hunger striking as a form of protest commenced
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Why was hunger striking a particularly effective form of protest?
The last thing the gov wanted was to have suffragettes dying in prison, becoming martyrs for the cause. It was realised that those who received food were released from prison when their health deteriorated- gov. had no choice
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What did the government introduce to combat hunger striking?
Force feeding women who consistently refused to eat- tubes forced into their nostrils
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What was the suffragette and public response to force feeding?
Suffragettes used propaganda to portray force feeding as oral ****. Doctors protested to PM about the 'unwise and inhumane practise'
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Why was the Prisoners' Temporary Discharge for Ill-health Act passed in 1913?
As a result of adverse publicity regarding force feeding
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What were the terms of the Prisoners' Temporary Discharge for Ill-health Act?
Gave the authorities the power to release persistent hunger strikers from prison, give them time to recover and then rearrest them- ingenious device to put an end to hunger striking
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How did the Prisoners' Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act become propaganda for the Suffragettes?
It was dubbed the 'Cat and mouse act'- becoming suffragette propaganda
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What was Emily Wilding Davison's role in the suffrage movement?
She jumped in front of the king's horse at the epsom derby in 1913 and later died of her injuries.
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How did the suffragettes use Davison's death as part of their campaign?
E. Pankhurst decided to make her a martyr for the cause even though it is not known whether she intended to kill herself (she bought a return ticket) Her funeral became a huge suffragette demonstration
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What was the response to Davison's death and funeral?
People were moved by it- reported that the crowds took of their hats at the mention of her name. Some showed more concern for the horse, Some of the press acknowledged her bravery whilst others argued society could not give in to a form of terrorism
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What did the years 1912-14 constitute?
The final, most violent phase of the suffragette campaign- with window breaking, attacks on pillar boxes and arson
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What did the militants claim about their violent means of protest?
The targets were property and not one person was killed as a result of burning buildings
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Was it true that militant forms of protest were not dangerous for the public?
No- some of the window breaking of london's west end shops for example was now fairly indiscriminate and endangered the safety of members of the public rather than government personnel and property
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How did some members of the WSPU e.g Elizabeth Wolstenholme-Elmy react to Christabel's support of escalating violence?
They began to wonder whether it was wrecking the movement by alienating public opinion.
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How did Frederick Pethiwick Lawrence judge the use of escalating violence?
The WSPU had largely got the public on their side in 1912 but that the advantage was being thrown away by the extreme militants
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How did Christabel Pankhurst deal with criticism of her leadership and men's increasing involvement in the movement?
Expelled both Pethwick-Lawrences from the WSPU. In 1914 Sylvia Pankhurst was expelled by her mother and sister for taking too independent a line in her support for specifically working class issues
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What did the gov believe about public opinion regarding the suffragettes and were they right?
They believed it was begining to turn against the suffragettes. Yes- from mid 1912 onwards WSPU meetings were being met by hostile crowds throwing food at them- suffragettes were being driven off the streets of london
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Why could it be argued that by 1914, the Pankhursts had become trapped in a spiral of decline?
Many WSPU members were imprisoned, gov. were making moves to close down 'The suffragette', WSPU was losing support of some of its members and the effectiveness of the WSPU was threatened
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When Asquith finally agreed to meet a deputation of women campaigners in 1913, who did he meet?
A group from the NUWSS and later in 1914 a working class delegation from Sylvia Pankhurst's east london organisation NOT THE WSPU
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In 1914, what did Asquith state about women's suffrage?
He had come round to the idea of votes for women on the same terms as men
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What happened at the outbreak of WW1, and were women enfranchised?
WSPU and other suffrage societies suspended their campaigning- the sex war was swamped by the great war. Women still not enfranchised at the outbreak of war
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Did the liberal government of 1906 deliver on women's suffrage?

Back

No- time after time the liberal government refused to support reform bills and in response to increased wspu militancy it restricted suffragette freedoms

Card 3

Front

How did the liberal government react when the WSPU began its illegal activities?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How did the Home Secretary, Herbert Gladstone, rationalise the restriction of WSPU freedoms?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What methods were used by the liberal government to silence the suffragettes?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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