Votes For Women, 1908-12 Sources Question

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Elizabeth Stephens 11N

History Coursework

Votes for Women, 1908-12

. How useful is Source A for finding out the sorts of people who supported the Suffragettes?

Source A is useful for finding out the sorts of people who supported the suffragettes as it is a photograph of a Suffragette demonstration and is primary evidence. The photograph shows mainly women in middle class dress and WSPU sashes and a few men as well. There is a policeman at the protest but only one, and he is not having to restrain the protestors in any way. This gives the impression that the Suffragettes were not violent, but I know from my own knowledge that they were a militant organisation who did use violence as a main campaign tactic. This photograph was taken in 1908 so they may not have started to be violent yet, or they may have started to be violent after the photograph was taken. This photograph does not represent the Suffragettes campaign very well as it is just showing a very small amount of time and not their wider activities. Other problems with this photograph's reliability at showing all the people who supported the movement is that it only shows a few of the 200,000 people who attended, it may not show a cross section of everyone there. However I know from my own knowledge that the main following of the WSPU was middle class women and a few men, although not many, and so this photograph is reliable for finding out the sorts of people who supported the suffragettes.

2. Sources B and C were both produced by women who wanted the vote. Does this make them unreliable as evidence about the Suffragette movements in these years?

Sources B and C are extremely reliable as evidence about the Suffrage movements in these years as they are both from speeches by leading suffragettes. They are obviously biased towards the suffragette cause but are excellent evidence for finding out about the aims of the suffragettes and their methods. They are primary sources showing the suffragette side of the argument. However, source B does not reflect the views of the whole suffrage movement as Suffragists were against violent campaigning and would have disagreed with Christabel's speech. I think that source C shows the wider view of all women who wanted the vote as it merely states that it is important that they had the vote and says that it need not interfere with their domestic duties.
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3. Source C is from a speech. Source D is a postcard. Is one of these two sources more useful than the other for studying why women wanted the vote?

Source C is much more useful for studying why women wanted the vote. This is because Source D is a form of propaganda and shows us how unfair it is that men could have been a ex-criminal or lunatic but still have the vote, yet women could be a teacher or mayor and not have the vote. Source D although very useful for finding out a Suffragette ...

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