Name: Rose- Anne 10N
Why did a campaign for women’s suffrage develop in the years after 1870?
The women’s suffrage was a universal issue that had begun a long time before the 19th century but after the years 1870 the campaign for women suffrage developed throughout Britain.
There are different factors that contributed towards the campaign. Before 1870, a large scale movement had not been established but after 1870, movements such as the Primrose League, the Women’s Liberal Foundation and most important, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies were all established.
Women suffered a number of restrictions under the law in Britain. Although in 1870 women could take part in council elections and elect their own board members in organisations, they couldn’t take part in general elections. This meant that they didn’t have a full say in how their country was governed as they couldn’t elect their own representatives at a national level. This angered women in the society because countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Denmark, Russia and Iceland had given women were given the vote by this time.