The suffragettes or Women’s Social and Political union (WSPU) divided the women’s suffrage movement. From 1909 onwards, the suffragists or National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) tried to distance themselves from the WSPU as they felt that their actions were damaging the cause. They believed that you couldn’t claim a democratic right by undemocratic methods; they couldn’t claim a right to vote by smashing windows.
They also felt that the militancy would put off the moderate MPs who would otherwise have supported their cause. And this is what happened; many MPs changed their minds when they saw the extremes the women went to.
The general reaction was mixed. Some people were horrified at the women’s violence; they felt it couldn’t be justified.
Some thought it made the likelihood of women getting the vote, less not more likely.
Other people felt that they exploited the death of Emily Davidson for public purposes.
Many women and some men admired their willingness to suffer for their cause; this proved that the women were serious about wanting the vote.
However, some people felt it only further proved that women shouldn’t have the vote. By using violent methods, the women were showing that they deserved to go to prison and didn’t deserve the vote.
Some men joined the NUWSS, proving that the suffragists’ campaigns were successful, but the suffragettes didn’t win over the majority of men.
The government dealt harshly with protesters. Time and again, the government promised to do something and then found an excuse not to. Many Bills were started and then dropped.
During one protest, the police reaction was particularly bad. They assaulted women who were demonstrating. One woman was thrown against a wall and hit her jaw with such force that it “loosened” two of her teeth.
A quote form one of the women present says: “One policeman put his arm around me and seized my left breast, nipping it and wringing it very painfully, saying as he did so, “You have been wanting this for a long time haven’t you?”
Women certainly didn’t get the vote in 1914; they had to wait until 1918 for those over 30 and until 1921 for those over 21 to get the vote.
In terms of raising awareness, the violent methods of the Suffragettes were highly successful, the violence meant that the cause was in the news and the issue of female suffrage was not forgotten.
However, in terms of changing the minds and attitudes of the country, they weren’t very successful, they only managed to back up the thought that women couldn’t handle having the vote.
