In 1867 and 1884 there were reform acts, meaning working class men in cities and counties were given the vote. Although the right to vote was still subject to the same property qualification and householder terms, men were no longer discriminated against by class and standing. Before 1870 onwards, women lost their property to their husbands when married. As legal status was linked to property, it was argued that married women were not entitled to the franchise. The property acts of 1870, 1882 and 1893 ended this loss of property to husbands, as this was linked to the franchise, the women who now owned property felt the absence of women’s legal status was hard to justify and many people were in favour of the Franchise.
Despite public support, the government stopped Bills for the Women’s Franchise. The Women’s Suffrage Bill in 1897 was heavily defeated, and parliament had voted nearly fifty times on votes for women by 1914. The women’s suffrage bill of 1987 passed a second reading but did not get through, and Shackleton’s Conciliation Bill of 1910 had good support, although Asquith argued there was no mandate, as women were not voters.
The legal and civil rights women had gained in the nineteenth century caused many people to call for the franchise, and although there was much support for the women’s vote, the bills failed to get through parliament. This was partly due to the house of lord’s veto until 1911 that blocked the proposals. However, the near successes meant the people who were for the vote became frustrated and called for organised suffrage such as the NUWSS and the WSPU in 1897 and 1903. The theory in the initiation of these groups was to create increased pressure on the government, so that future legislation would be passed, and narrow failures such as with previous proposals would not occur.
2. Describe the ways in which the methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes were different
The suffragists and the suffragists were the two main forms of women’s suffrage in the early twentieth century, although they initially worked together for the franchise, the suffragettes became the more violent and militant group, whereas the suffragists were more peaceful, academic protesters.
The main suffragette group was the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), set up in 1903. It was led by Pankhurst family: Emmeline and her daughters Cristabel and Sylvia. The group advocated the use of militant force and civil disobedience. Their campaign became very forceful in 1905 when the liberals came into power, as they were much more likely to pass voting legislation than the conservatives who were still backed by plural voting.
Suffragette tactics initially were to spread the message of women’s suffrage by use of pamphlets and media. They set up the Votes for Women newspaper that was hugely popular amongst women. Later, when a moderate leader, Despard, left the union, acts became more radical such window breaking, stone throwing, and then arson attacks, acid on golf courses and telephone wire cutting. In 1913 Minister Lloyd George’s house was bombed and later in May, Emily Davison was martyred when she died after running under the king’s horse in order to disrupt a race. The tactics used were deliberately violent so as to attract public attention. Suffragettes were often arrested, which would give them more publicity, and once in prison, some women went on hunger strike in order to keep the cause in public view.
The leader Emmeline Pankhurst had a very clear view of what she was aiming for, which was disruption in order to create publicity. She herself went on hunger strike ten times and even expelled her daughter Sylvia for socialist and pacifist ideas.
The Suffragists were more moderate. There were two main groups, the Women’s Freedom League and the National Union of Women’s Suffrage societies, set up in 1897 and led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett.