Votes For Women, c1900-28.

James Crowe

Coursework Assignment

Votes For Women, c1900-28

What can you learn from Source A about the reasons given by the Suffragettes for demanding votes for women?

Source A, produced in 1912, shows us that women can do all these jobs such as mayor and doctor clearly requiring high levels of intelligence and understanding, and can be leaders and have jobs of important social standing. Evidently they could have chosen a leader just as easily as a man. Hence propaganda like Source A suggesting woman can be more responsible than men, and yet not have the vote. It questions what abilities are required for a voter? When compared to immoral activities like the slave trade and irresponsible actions like drunkenness it becomes obvious female suffrage should have been accepted as the poster suggests. Also, the inclusion of ‘mother’ in the poster points out that women bring up the future of society and yet are excluded from the right to vote. The poster definitely achieves its job of explicating the unfairness in the voting system. One other point of significance is it being written in 1912, and being peaceful. This may lead to the fact that Suffragette violence increased as 1914 neared, evidently this kind of campaigning didn’t work.

Does Source B support the evidence of Source C about the Suffragette campaign? Explain your answer.

Sources B and C have clear similarities. Both contain complaints against the male attitudes in Britain at that time. Both say Suffragettes don’t help the women’s cause; they agree that the methods used do more damage than good to the female suffrage movement. Both use a similar description of a Suffragette, ‘shrill cry/ shrieking sister’. Written in 1906; Source C doesn’t blame all women it is merely biased against the Suffragettes. The drawing seems to make the ‘shrieking sister’ look crazy or similar to a hooligan. It therefore clearly suggests that her behavior discredits a woman’s right to vote. The portrayal of the Suffragettes as disheveled, panicky women is evidence of the negative viewpoint held by the artist and those who thought similarly. Written in 1907, source B goes further than source C not only agreeing with the negative viewpoint of Suffragettes but blaming the faults in society and the male population’s attitudes on the women that bring them up. It says women won’t get the vote because of the way they bring up their sons, making it down to them. Source C sees both women wanting the vote but going about it differently; Source B is negative towards any women campaigning for the vote. Source B, written by a woman, says actually women have more influence than voters because they bring up the future of society. Overall, Source B supports Source C and goes further in making a reasoned argument as to why no women have the vote.

Why, despite the Suffragette activity, had women not gained the vote by the outbreak of the First World War?

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Why, despite the Suffragette activity, had women not gained the vote by the outbreak of the First World War?

The first reason was positive campaigning and public opinion. Although female suffrage societies first formed in 1867, it took a long time to get enough support and agreement to be taken seriously. Public opinion in 1897 (the forming of the WSPU) also still strongly agreed that women were not really meant to enter politics. Violence against property and actions against the public and the police meant great public disagreement with them. Throughout the period before the First World War there was an underlying attitude in society that it was unwise to offer women the vote (in agreement with source E). This was due to a fear of putting the control of government positions into female hands. Many were scared of women being irrational. These attitudes were aided by national newspapers. Though Suffragettes gave the movement headlines (as source D clearly states), they were almost always with negative connotation. It was the Daily Mail who gave them the name Suffragettes.

A second reason that women hadn’t gained the vote was centered around the government at that time. There was party conflict over what form a bill (if one was passed) should take. One main result from this was as mentioned that women did not get the vote as different bills were stopped by different groups. Also, an important factor in the suffrage campaign was female pacifism. But, the political parties saw this as weakness and a lack of devotion to Britain. Therefore some MP’s still supported them, as they did theoretically have the freedom to think what they wanted. However many withdrew their support due to the escalating circumstances in Europe. This agrees with the statement in source E from an MP that control of the country was not desirable in female hands.

This leads to the third reason women did not have the vote, PM Asquith. The best example of this would be Asquith blocking a popular conciliatory bill in 1911. Firstly he knew the women who first received the vote would be older, and often married. Therefore they would probably vote Conservative, against his party. Also, the continuing violent demonstration of Suffragettes had backed him into a corner so that he had to be seen as criticizing of this, partly due to the Irish situation.

How useful are these two sources as evidence for the contribution of women to the war effort in the years 1914-1918?

These sources offer varying evidence as to the contribution of women. Source F is clearly a primary piece of evidence from the war. However it is propaganda, therefore biased from the government. This means though it cannot be used well as proof of involvement it can definitely be used as proof that the government wanted more women working during the war. It raises interesting ideas of women working in factories, and is significant as it was produced in 1916 (when conscription was introduced). This then is evidence of women taking male jobs as well as the changing attitudes to the contribution of women. It shows women as munitions workers positively, and the man and ‘front-line’ situation in the background are proof of her importance and increased equality with men.

Source G, secondary evidence obviously taken from reliable sources as there is now no reason to lie, is a much better example of how much women contributed to the war effort. It simply shows the very evident increases in women working. Especially as the increase in retail workers being so small compared to the munitions increases shows they didn’t just take any jobs as soon as men left. Clearly the metal and chemical industries are munitions and the building of weapons/offensive vehicles. Also, an important fact to observe is that jobs in Government Offices (often civil servants) previously dominated by men were now done by women. This also shows that government was hiring more people generally; the war meant more administration was required. However, it does lack other useful information like what the numbers of women in other employment were. Education (teachers), domestic service (nannies) and working as a housewives/mothers were popular. Also, a total female population from 1914 and 1918 isn’t included, which would have been useful in showing what proportion were working.

‘It was the work that women did during the war that earned them the vote.’ Use the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain whether you agree with this interpretation.

One main reason that women didn’t have the vote before the war was Asquith’s opposition. But as we can see in source J, we know in 1916 he resigned as Prime Minister, and in 1917 he stated that Suffragettes had stopped their ‘horrible campaign of violence’ and contributed greatly at the war. Therefore it is clear he saw there no reason to deny them the vote any longer. His speech also leads on to the second important point.

When war was declared in 1914 two important things happened. Firstly Suffragettes quit their violent actions and promised to help the war effort as much as possible. It was obvious however that once the war ended campaigning would further continue if nothing were done to enfranchise women. Secondly Suffragists, who up till then had claimed they would remain pacifist, decided to wholeheartedly support the war. Thus it was that women nationwide began helping the government by encouraging men to sign up, and filling in jobs that were empty. Therefore it wasn’t only women’s work that gave them the vote, but the many other things they also did.

The problem over what from the bill should take was also solved as the war-time government was a coalition one. In May 1915 the Liberal government became a coalition one. This meant that representation was no longer an issue, older fears of one party benefiting too much were laid to rest. Furthermore, women had defeated old views that they belonged at home (Source H) and whereas Suffragettes had been in headlines negatively, they were now positively portrayed by the press (partly for morale).

Some historians however say it was not the war that got women the vote. Paula Bartley argued it was mostly women over 30 who received the vote, yet the female munitions workers would have been much younger. Source H tells us men did not appreciate women taking over their jobs, especially in agriculture and industry women were greatly ‘frozen out’ by the male workers. This shows not all public opinion agreed on enfranchising women. But, it is important to remember there was a need for voting reform in general. Large numbers of soldiers upon returning wouldn’t be allowed to vote. This would be unacceptable but meant women should surely get some kind of reward for their hard work and losses.

Female suffrage ideas had been around for many years before the war and many things had changed before 1914. However the major barriers between gaining the vote soon disappeared during the war effort. In summary as Source I says, the interpretation is a ‘very rough generalization’, the work women did during the war contributed to earning them the vote but was not the only reason.

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