Why Did a Campaign for Women's Suffrage Develop after 1870?

woman could have, and what society thought a woman’s role and qualities should be, less intelligent, weaker and concentrated around the family and her husband.                                                    Women primarily began to campaign for suffrage because of their inferior status to men, they wanted a change. Women were fed-up of being treated like second class citizens. For example women were not allowed to attend universities or colleges limiting their chances of becoming someone important and well respected in society. They wanted to be able to choose any career they wanted rather than the government only allowing them to do a few jobs that weren't very good. Such as working as a teacher or in a textile factory which had very bad wages. Women rarely had professional jobs due to the fact that they were considered to be suitable only for men, however some did enter the professions, as in the case of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, who graduated as a doctor in 1866. This was a huge step for middle- class women, though their graduation was met with hostility from many men. It showed other women that they could be somebody important, such as a doctor and gave them a positive role model. However many working-class uneducated women were forced into work to provide for their families. This led to a campaign for women's suffrage because they were not happy about being treated like slaves, working up to 80 hours a week, in awful conditions with awful pay. Women wanted freedom, they wanted to be able to get good jobs and live on their own.  They wanted not to have to rely on men. But this would only happen if they were able to get education so they could practice for careers that would improve there image in society, which few women could afford. However more and more middle-class women were going to university and becoming educated, this prompted them to strive for change. A further point to consider is the effect of reforms. Women were encouraged by their involvement in other campaigns. For example, women were very actively involved in the Anti-slavery Movement in Britain. This must have encouraged women to campaign because they would have believed that their campaign would be successful, as they had seen others succeed. Another reason women had to campaign was because the government who passes the laws felt that women are too emotional to be trusted with the vote. The campaign for women's suffrage gathered support after 1870, because of a growing number of women who, through education, realised society was extremely unequal and recognised a need for change through action. The Forster act of 1870 which gave compulsory primary education to girls, was a landmark event that meant the women of the future would have the ability to question the inequalities of a sexist, chauvinistic society. In conclusion, I believe the most important reason for the development of a campaign for women's suffrage after 1870 is the number of reforms that were taking place. This is important because women were involved in many of these campaigns so they were encouraged that they would be able to win suffrage for themselves. Also the reforms improved women's conditions so they must have felt that they were getting through to the government so their campaigns were working,  giving them confidence in themselves and their abilities to push for a change. Other important factors were an increased awareness of women's suppression throughout society, the general public's changing view of a women's place, not just in the home but at work and the growing economic power that women had inevitably gained through an increasing presence in the workplace. Causing women to campaign for change.