groups, although fighting for the same result, did not seem to care
for one another. The NUWSS believed violence would get women’s
status no where and would anger the people who had the choice of
whether they could have the vote or not. The WSPU did not always
believe in violent methods, in 1903 Emmiline Pankhurst (the leader
of the WSPU) patience finally ran out.
“It was rapidly becoming clear to my mind that men regarded
women as a servant class in the community and that women were
going to remain in that class until they lifted themselves out of it. I
asked myself many times, what was to be done.” That is an extract
from a speech she made in 1913. She was tired of being “pleasant”
to MP’s in order to get the vote, she called for more militant action,
hence their motto “deeds not words.” Her movement was confined
to independent women only with no party affiliations. They were
women of principal and pursued their goal with passion and
determination.
The NUWSS preferred more conventional methods like
demonstrations, meetings, propaganda and pilgrimages that are all
legal, an example of this is the Mud March (given the name because
of the torrential rain). This was believed to be a success. They had
petitions that had a total number of 29,359 signatures on. These
sort of methods might not have been instantly successful but it gave
them respect and acknowledgement, this in turn would be superior
to the WSPU who would most likely have lost respect.
The NUWSS thought that violence would deter support as women
who are seen as erratic, temperamental and volatile did not have a
slightest chance of getting the vote so the NUWSS kept going with
their methods and peacefully protested against inequality and set
about changing the law.
This did not stop the WSPU, they smashed windows, went on
hunger strike, harassed authority and even tried to destroy valuable
works of art. Many women were arrested, and in prison they
embarked on a hunger strike. Hunger strikes led to many deaths as
they had to be forced fed so they did not become martyrs.
Emily Davison did become a martyr, she was probably the most
determined suffragette, her favourite words “Rebellion against
tyrants is obedience to God,” were wrapped round stones and
thrown at Lloyd George’s car. On June 13 Emily walked onto the
racecourse of the most important horse race of the year. She tried
to grab King George V’s horse’s bridle, but she was trampled and
condemned a mentally ill fanatic.
I believe that the Suffragists were more successful than the
Suffragettes because violence may make people afraid but it cannot
change ones beliefs.
