is a Suffragette. It gives out the message that suffragettes were
violent and prevented women, who were non violent like the NUWSS, from
getting the vote. This hints that if the WSPU didn't exist women would
have been given the vote much earlier. There is a clear indication of
prejudice and discrimination in this picture, showing the suffragette
who belongs to the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in rugged
clothes, shaking her fist and shouting where as the suffragist on the
right, belonging to the NUWSS, is wearing nice clothes and is upright
and not shouting. This suggests also that suffragists came mainly from
the middle and upper classes whereas the suffragettes came mainly from
the poorer working class. The images of the two women chosen by the
cartoonist give a view of how people and the author himself may have
interpreted the campaign.
There are many similarities between these two sources, which support
evidence about the female suffrage movement. The body language in the
picture of Source C suggests women were discontented, a word used
literally in Source B. There is also the similarity between shrieking
sister in Source C and shrill cry in Source B. Therefore these
similarities suggest that these sources have a definite connection.
Source B says women are destined not to get the vote. Whereas Source C
illustrates that due to their violent behaviour the suffragettes stand
in the way of getting the vote for women. This suggests that a
peaceful approach may gain greater support from the Liberals who
preferred the NUWSS simply because they used no violence.
Question 3
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In 1914 the First World War broke out and women despite their efforts
still had not gained the vote. In Source D Emmeline Pankhurst suggests
that violence has only been used because they did not receive votes
for women following a large public swing of opinion in 1906 when a
large section of public opinion were in agreement for votes for women.
This is based on an earlier statement in the same paragraph where she
states "The argument of politicians and Suffragists has always been
that once public opinion swings our way then without any force at all
women will be given the vote". Pankhurst is therefore blaming the
government for encouraging the violence after they were not given the
vote when a large section of the public were clearly in favour of them
receiving it.
Source E is a biased statement that claims that if women were given
the vote male control of government would be lost to female control.
This is because some men felt threatened by the thought of women
receiving the vote. It would give women a direct influence and voice
in the forming of future governments. It does not consider the fact
that this may be a good influence for future generations.
The political reasons for why women did not gain the vote by 1914 was
that the Liberals were against giving women the vote because of their
concern that in giving the vote to women they would vote for the
Tories. They were also concerned because as well as giving women the
vote, it would also mean giving working class men the vote, who would
vote for Labour. The Tories, on the other hand, did not consider
giving women the vote because they wanted everything to be based on
religious and traditional views. Labour did not want to give women the
vote as they wanted to concentrate more on giving working class men
the vote who were more likely to vote Labour.
In order to discourage violence amongst the women campaigners the Cat
and Mouse Act was introduced which authorised the use of force feeding
through tubes of women on hunger strike who were in prison as a result
of their violent campaign for votes for women. This was socially
unpopular with the public as many women fell ill as a result of being
force-fed. Another, of the many reasons the government gave for not
giving the vote to women was that a woman's place was in the home and
it was not her duty to vote or campaign on the streets. As well as
this, the government were very determined not to give in to the
violent campaign because it may encourage groups in other areas of
discontent, such as in India, to use violence to get their own way and
force the breakdown of British rule in India.
Question 4
Source F is a piece of propaganda encouraging women to get out of the
home and into the factories. It was a way of giving the public a
different perspective of women, especially by men who felt women
belonged in the home as housewife or domestic servant. Many women were
encouraged by this kind of propaganda because it meant a new job where
they would earn a higher wage than in their previous jobs and be able
to have a more social and less demanding lifestyle. It also suggests
that the government were aware that without women taking on this role
in the war industries the war effort would be greatly disadvantaged.
The government's heavy advertising campaign for this new role for
women also had the effect of calming down the violent campaign used
thus far by women to obtain the vote.
As a result of this new perspective of women working in factories,
taking over what would normally be considered a man's job, fashion
started to change and a new look started to emerge. However despite
the massive advertising campaign encouraging women to go out to work,
over half a million women still worked as a domestic servant in the
household.
Source G shows the number of women employed in the war industries at
the beginning of the war (1914) and the huge increase in this number
by the end of the war (1918). This is due to the large amount of
publicity by the government to encourage women to work in the war
industries. Between July 1914 and July 1918 over 400,000 women joined
the metal industries; over 63,000 women joined in the chemical
industries; over 60,000 joined the Food, Drink and Tobacco industries;
and an amazing 223,000 women joined government offices.
Both these sources illustrate how much women became involved in the
war, the importance of this work in support of the war effort and an
indication of why women got the vote.
Question 5
Source H suggests overall that the vote came as a result of women
successfully rearing up their children, however it does mention in
very little detail that the granting of the vote was a reward of loyal
wartime service.
It explains how women were accepted and rejected in particular types
of jobs because of their well-known role as a housewife and domestic
servant. It suggests that the men and government of that time felt
most comfortable if the women looked after the men and did jobs such
as nurses, providers of refreshments for the troops and brought up
fighting men of the future. This was the reason why many women were
rejected in such jobs as working on farms, in hospitals and factories
because it was felt that a woman's place was at home and their job was
to bring up the children. Most politicians agreed that women had done
a great service to the country by bringing up their children
successfully and felt women could be given the vote as an reward for
these efforts.
Source I is written more in agreement that women were given the vote
because of the war, although it does not mention the loyal wartime
service of women. It explains about political and social changes as a
result of the war that changed the way people thought and suggest that
throughout the four years of conflict the mood of the people changed.
One possible interpretation is that during the four years of war there
was a
significant change in the people's frame of mind and as the source
states, "a tremendous mood favourable to change had been created".
In Source J Herbert Asquith recognises that women deserve the vote by
their loyal wartime service during the war between 1914-1918. He
explains that women have contributed to every service of the war
except that of fighting and have not restarted using violence for
their campaign to vote. This therefore suggests that the vote was
given based on the loyal wartime service of women and because they had
backed away from using such "horrible violence" as Herbert Asquith
puts it.
However the vote was only given to those over 30 and they had to be a
householder or married to a householder. Although, eventually in 1928,
when the Labour Party introduced the 'Representation of the People
Act' women as young as 21 were allowed to vote.
I believe that women working in wartime service certainly boosted the
chance of women getting the vote but there were also other reasons for
this decision. The way women behaved throughout the war improved and
the fact that no violence erupted showed women up in a good light, it
encouraged the mood and opinion of the people to change. This change
in mood and opinion suggested a gradual acceptance, if not voiced,
that women had a greater role to play in the future of the country and
giving them the vote was part of that role.