The NUWSS (The Suffragists) were a women’s group, mainly middle class. In 1890 the hundreds of local groups from over the country formed a national organisation (The NUWSS) led by Millicent Fawcett. Although they strongly believed in why and what they were campaigning for they used non-violent methods, they were very peaceful in their methods.
“To show the world how to gain reforms without violence, without killing people and blowing up buildings and doing the other silly thing that men have done when they wanted the laws altered”
They had the support of hundreds of women groups from all over the country. They also met with politicians and argued their case. By 1900 over half of all MP’s said they wished to give the vote to women, Millicent Fawcett claimed her movement was like a glacier’:it might be slow moving but it was powerful and unstoppable’.
The Suffragettes on the other hand used completely different methods to get their point across, methods such as deliberately getting arrested and sent to prison. They also occasionally attacked properties by breaking windows etc.
The suffragettes (The WSPU) thought that the tactics of the NUWSS, and their peaceful campaigns were getting them nowhere.
The WSPU run by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters not only wanted the right to vote but also wanted to campaign for better working and living conditions for women. Sylvia Pankhurst described their aims, “to create an impression upon the public throughout the country, to get everyone talking about votes for women, to keep the subject in the press, to leave the government no peace from it.”
Their campaigns were controversial and won massive publicity for their movement, London raised much needed support. A massive 34 branches of the WSPU alone were in London, and only 54 in the rest of the country!
In 1911 new hope was raising for the Suffragette women. A political vote was held, and the majority voted for women to be able to get the right to vote. Unfortunately for the women Asquith overruled this. This was a terrible defeat for the Suffragettes, and caused great uproar, which fuelled the anger of the Suffragettes as they started organising window smashing, and carried out arson attacks, bombing and sabotaging many areas of Britain.
People found these new methods too extreme and so the Suffragettes lost the vote of some women.
They were using ‘terrorist’ sort of methods to show their seriousness in gaining the right to vote.
The government didn’t react well to the violence of the Suffragettes, people deemed the violence as unnecessary and unlawful. Many men were shocked by the womens actions. This only made Asquith more determined to stick with his views and the violence gave a new answer as to why not to give in to the women. He thought that if he gave in perhaps other groups would rebel against society.
In conclusion women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900-1914 as they were using unlawful methods, such as sabotage. Also society wasn’t ready for the new change and thought women had a set role, such as being mothers etc. Men especially had this point of view, men in ‘power’ such as Asquith.
