What was more important, the suffragette campaigns or world war one in gaining women the vote?

Authors Avatar
What was more important, the suffragette campaigns or world war one in gaining women the vote?

Introduction.

Women were not allowed to vote at the same time as men in the 19th century. This was because most people believed women did not have the right sort of intelligence or personality. They were emotional and weak and spent their lives being led and looked after. They could not make important decisions like money, work, power, war, law, education and health care. They were not capable of thinking about these things. Married women were not able to own property and therefore were unable to take control of their own lives or show responsibility for things.

Suffragettes and suffragists

Suffragists were women who led peaceful protests. They were formed in 1867 and Millicent fawcett became leader in 1897 thirties years later. She wads the leader of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) which united local suffrage groups from all over Britain. There methods of trying to gain the vote were peaceful. They produced a journal called "The Common Cause," they made speeches and presented petitions to parliament. In 1907 they gained the support of the Artists Suffrage League whish designed symbols and banners for the group. They chose the colours red, white and green and wore them on their hats, badges and on the banners. By 1914 the NUWSS was the largest suffrage organization. It was mainly made up of working class women. They were also interested in gaining further right for women in the workplace.

Almost forty years after the Suffragettes were born! Emmeline Pankhurst who had earlier grown disillusioned with the methods of the Women's Political Organization led the Suffragettes. She founded the WSPU, the Women's Social and Political Union.

At first she intended that the main aim of the organization was to recruit more working class women in the suffrage struggle.

In 1905 the media lost interest, newspapers rarely reported meetings and refused to print letters from women's suffrage supporters. In October of that year Christabel Pankhurst, Emmeline's daughter and her friend Anne Kelly attended a meeting in London to hear sir Edward Grey, minister in the British government. They constantly shouted out. " Will Liberal government give votes to women. When the women refused to stop shouting the police were called to evict them from the meeting. The women still refused to leave and in the struggle the policeman claimed that the women kicked and spat at him. They were charged with assault. They were found guilty and fined 5 shillings. When they refused to pay they were sent to prison.
Join now!


In 1907 Emmeline moved to London to join her two daughters Sylvia and Christabel in the militant struggle for suffrage. They called themselves suffragettes they took more militant action to try and obtain the vote. Many people who were part of the more peaceful protests of the suffragists then joined the militant suffragettes while others were disgusted by their forceful methods. They burned down churches as the Church of England was against what they wanted; they vandalised Oxford Street, breaking all the windows in this famous street; they chained themselves to Buckingham Palace as the Royal Family were ...

This is a preview of the whole essay