Describe the Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes were Different

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Assignment 1                                                                                          Tom Harrison

Question 2                                                                                            Mrs. Theakston

Describe the Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes were Different

There were many differences between the methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes and some similarities, both arising from the nature of the membership and the leadership of the two unions.

The main common ground between the two groups was their aim; both campaigned for votes for women. They differed on the means of achieving this goal.

They even supported the same political parties; initially the Liberals but after 1911 they started supporting Labour; each followed the party most committed to their cause.

A further similarity was the frustration felt after postponements of Suffrage bills, encouraging both Unions to make their actions more attention seeking: the Suffragettes started chaining themselves to railings - like Edith New who chained herself to railings near Downing Street in 1908 – following their motto, “Deeds not words,” and the Suffragists began ignoring the census and evading tax.

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Whilst The Suffragettes and Suffragists did have similarities, they had many more differences. The most obvious difference between them was that The Suffragettes applied militant tactics whereas the Suffragists applied more constitutional methods such as marches and petitions. The Suffragettes believed that they had to fight for the right to vote and believed that reckless behaviour was the best way to do this, eg burning post boxes and bombing churches. Suffragists, however, believed that they would get the right to vote eventually so they wanted to speed up the process without criticism for anti-social methods. Instead they used less ...

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