History GCSE Votes For Women Coursework

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  1. Why did a campaign for women’s suffrage develop in the years after 1870?

Until 1867, no Women were allowed to vote in local or national elections. In the 19th century, women were seen as inferior to men. They were deprived of the ability to not only vote but also to retain their own children, to own their own properties, to keep any money they earned themselves, and they were not even allowed to complete the same degrees as men. Women were discriminated against and were not treated the same as men. They were very much, considered a 2nd class citizen.

 Until, in the 1830s, when laws began to change to allow Women to have more rights, equal to those of men. Women felt that they had little education and career opportunities, as well as very little political and social opportunities. They felt it grossly unfair, and felt that as they had to pay taxes to the Government that they should be allowed to have a say in who ran the country, and therefore should be allowed the right to vote. The right, which men had.

Women seeked the vote for many reasons. Firstly, they wanted to attend suffrage (the right to vote) so they could improve their legal status. This would then allow them to improve their social and educational situations.

Women were under the rule of men, and were seen as their husband’s property. Another reason for them wanting to gain the vote, was so they could break away from there subjection to men. Husbands were aloud to abuse there wives, such as beating them (as long as the cane was no wider then the size of there thumbs). And women were not even allowed to divorce there husbands on account of adultery. Although an act was passed in 1837, which allowed men to divorce there wives on the same grounds.

Women felt they needed to gain political power, so as to change the laws so they could be protected themselves from men, and to end the subjection to dictatorship and abuse which many women faced. Many women campaigned in order to try and attain women’s suffrage. In 1870, campaigning groups became more serious and there numbers grew rapidly. It was in this year, 1870, when two major acts where passed which helped women to slowly regain the same rights as men. The 1839 Custody of Infants Act helped give more rights to divorced women (but the father still retained almost, complete control of the children), and the 1870 Property Act allowed married women to keep £200 of their own earnings. Meaning women began to get some control on their own lives, and were able to work and spend their own money without their husbands taking it all.

The pass of both these acts, as well as a few other ones, meant that women fighting for the suffrage were given hope, as they felt that there efforts were beginning to pay off. And that it was a start, towards complete equality between men and women. Women belonging to suffrage groups became more hopeful for the future of women’s rights, and therefore numbers of these groups increased as well as there determination and dedication. As well as there tactics, and plans becoming more head strong.

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 The Women’s campaign for suffrage developed in the years after 1870, because women believed they had the right to gain the vote, and to have the same rights as men. They strived for equality between the sexes. The improvement in the laws with the few acts that were introduced, gave women the hope that there wishes could be maintained, and allowed them to continue fighting for their cause.

2. Describe the ways in which the methods of the Suffragists and the Suffragettes were different.

        The Suffragists were a group of people who campaigned to win the vote for ...

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