Describe the way in which the methods of the suffragists and suffragettes were different?

There were two different types of groups that were trying to get the vote for women. These were The Suffragists and The Suffragettes. They were similar in the way that they both wanted the vote for women, but were very different in the tactics that were used for this. The Suffragists were formed in 1890’s, and they believed in peaceful methods of campaigning. The Suffragettes were formed in 1903 and they believed in more extreme methods of campaigning. In this essay I am going to look at the different tactics used by both groups. I will be starting by looking at the tactics used by The Suffragists.

The Suffragists who were formed in the 1890’s, were led by a woman called Millicent Fawcett, The Suffragists believed in peaceful methods of campaigning. Millicent Fawcett wrote in 1911 that she wanted the NUWSS to show the world how to gain reforms without violence, without killing people and blowing up buildings and doing the other silly things that men have done when they wanted the laws altered. The Suffragists issued leaflets, collecting petitions and held meetings. They also met with politicians and argued their case. At election times they helped any candidate who supported women’s suffrage. By 1900 more than half MP’s said they wanted to give the vote to women. Millicent Fawcett said that her movement was ‘like a glacier’. It might be slow moving, but it was powerful and unstoppable. She believed that in the end and its tactics would get woman the vote. In 1905 The Suffragists, ran meetings in almost all constituencies in the run-up to the General Election. In 1907, they held their first procession. In 1908, they led a deputation to see the prime minister. In 1909, Fawcett held a public debate with her opponents, and in 1910, The Suffragists raised a petition of 180,000 signatures. These are examples of the tactics the suffragists used to try and gain the vote for the women. However The Suffragists used very different tactics to those of The Suffragists.

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The Suffragettes who were formed in 1903, were led by a woman called Emmeline Pankhurst, Emmeline and her daughters formed a breakaway group called the women’s social and political union, whereas the NUWSS had campaigned only for votes for women, the members of the WSPU also wanted to campaign for better working and living conditions for women. Their motto was ‘deeds not words’. Sylvia Pankhurst described their aims: ‘To create an impression upon the public throughout the country, to set everyone talking about votes for women, to keep the subject in the press, to leave the government no peace from it’. In 1905 they heckled at meetings, in 1906 they deliberately tried to get arrested and sent to prison-although they committed no violence themselves. In 1908 they started occasional attacks on property, such as breaking windows, etc. in 1909 Suffragettes in prison went on hunger strike. In 1912 they organised window smashing and in 1913 they carried out arson, bombing and sabotage in many areas on Britain. These are examples of the tactics The Suffragettes used to try and gain the vote for women try and gain the vote for women.

The methods used by Suffragists and Suffragettes were very different. They both disagreed with each others tactics. The Suffragists using peaceful methods of campaigning, was not thought to be effective by The Suffragettes. The Suffragettes used extreme methods of campaigning which often included violence, which was frowned upon by The Suffragists, The Suffragists had principles and were determined to stick to them and wouldn’t refer to violence as a way of getting the vote for women. The suffragettes knew it was important to recognise and have lots of publicity and they got this, however the suffragists hardly got publicity and were often ignored. With both, The Suffragists and Suffragettes using their own ways of campaigning things were improving. It was a step closer to getting the vote for women.

659 Words

Jayesh Patel 10X

Mr Spence

History Coursework