Why did a campaign for Women's suffrage develop in the years after 1870?

Why did a campaign for Women’s suffrage develop in the years after 1870?

By ‘Fahad Ashraf’ 10Q

During the latter part of the ninetieth century, many women began actively campaigning for equality, in particular for the right to vote. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast the campaigns for women’s rights before and after 1870, and discuss the factors that led to the development of a campaign for women’s suffrage in the years after 1870.

At the start of the Victorian era there was a very strong division between both, the role of men and women and between the role of women of different classes. In upper and middle class households men had the dominant role. They would work and support their families, whereas women were expected to stay at home. Many households would employ domestic servants, to carry out household chores and to look after any children. It was considered to be shameful to the upper classes if a female member of the family worked. Furthermore women were discouraged from participating in any activities or having hobbies, in fact a woman was expected to reflect the status of her household by remaining idle at all times. On the other hand women from working class backgrounds would often have to work in order to supplement their husband’s wages in addition to raising their children and carrying out household chores. They were commonly employed in factories, laundries and as domestic servants. Although the daily lives of upper and working class women differed greatly neither had any legal status. If a married woman owned money, property or any other valuable goods it would legally belong to her husband. Women did not have the opportunity to go to university and study for a degree unlike men. In the case of working class families any unemployment benefits would be paid to the ‘man’ of the household. Unlike men, women were unable get a divorce on the grounds of adultery alone. If a couple separated, the husband would gain sole custody of the children. Overall women lived in the shadow of their husbands during this era.

During the first half of the ninetieth century, most British citizens did not have the right to vote. This began to change during the latter part of the century. In 1832 the Great Reform Act gave property owners who earned ten pounds or more annually the right to vote. In 1867, all male householders gained the right to vote and by 1884 the majority of adult males could vote. However women still did not have the right to vote.

One of the factors, which led to the change in status of women, was the introduction of female education. During the ...

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One of the factors, which led to the change in status of women, was the introduction of female education. During the second half of the nineteenth century many institutes for the education of women opened. These included Cheltenham Ladies’ College, University College for ‘young ladies’ and the North London Collegiate School. In 1873, women were given the right to attend University. This subsequently led to demands for the emancipation (setting free) of women and to campaigns for female suffrage. Women began to realise that the right to vote was essential for gaining equality with men. Women, in particular those from upper class backgrounds, were becoming increasingly frustrated at their lack of independence. They had fewer rights than those of working class men, and there was no distinction between the rights of upper and working class women. Florence Nightingale was considered as a role model to many upper class women. Florence Nightingale was from an upper class, who went against all the expectations of an upper class woman to become a nurse. Women demanded that the professions like nursing should be opened to them so that they could make a useful contribution to society. Subsequently the London School of Medicine for Women opened in 1874. Twenty-five years later, there were over three hundred female doctors in the country.

The introduction of devices such as the telephone and the typewriter in the 1880’s led to the development of numerous new occupations for women. Previously these had been limited to factory work or domestic service. However an increasing number of women were now being employed as telephone operators, typists or as commercial clerks. The rapid expansion in the number of elementary schools after 1870 provided yet another new career for women in teaching.

During the 1850’s the legal rights of women also began to improve. In 1857 the Matrimonial Causes act was passed. This act allowed women to file for divorce on grounds of cruelty, abuse or abandonment. In 1870 the Married Women’s Property Acts were introduced, these gave women greater rights over their earnings and by 1882 women were granted the right to own property. These acts gave women more independence and enabled them to play a more dominant role in society.

Although the education and job opportunities available to women were improving, as was their legal status, they were still denied the right to vote. This angered many women. A Suffragette poster produced in 1912 summed up the feelings of many women. It states that “A woman could be a mayor, nurse, mother, doctor or teacher, earning the utmost respect and carrying out crucial jobs and yet still not have the vote. On the other hand a man may be a convict, lunatic, or drunkard and still be allowed to vote”. This slogan highlights the differences in the legal status between men and women, which was prevalent at the time.

In 1888, Women were granted the right to vote for County Borough Councils and in 1907 they were allowed to become councillors. Furthermore women could serve on school boards, be factory inspectors, vote in select regional elections and could even become mayors provided they owned property. It was during this time that the first organisations which actively campaigned for women’s suffrage began, most notably the Female Political Association, founded by Anne Knight and the Women’s Social and Political Union and the suffragette movement, which was founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her two daughters. Previously, individuals had done the majority of campaigning for women’s rights. One of the first campaigners was Mary Smith, an unmarried property owner. From 1832 she began quietly petitioning Parliament to give female property owners the vote. Caroline Norton was another important figure who campaigned to bring about the Infants Custody Bill which, enabled children under seven to stay with their mother, after separation or divorce of the parents. Barbara Bodichon wrote pamphlets and collected signatures supporting a Married Woman’s Property Bill that came into power in 1856. The efforts of individual campaigners were not as effective as those of the organisations founded in the latter part of the nineteenth century, in gaining equality for women.

Before 1870 the campaigns for woman’s equality had only a small impact. The majority of campaigning was done by individual women. However after 1870, many organisations, which actively campaigned for the equality of women, were founded. The work of these organisations played a significant role in enforcing women’s rights.