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Emmeline Pankhurst Suffragettes

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Suffragettes is the term used to refer to the group women who belonged to the Women’s Social and Political Union (W.S.P.U.) organization between the late 19th century and the early 20th century in the United Kingdom. The objective of this organization, lead by Emmeline Pankhurst, was to achieve the right to vote for women through peaceful meeting in an initial stage, although, eventually, they switched to violent actions. The origins of the organization is product of the separation of regular Unions into male and female Unions; eventually, these female Unions would leave behind some of its members as it can be seen in words of Eulalia Vega “In England, several Unions expelled women from the organization” (My own translation. Vega, 1992; …show more content…

On the one hand, as it can be seen in My Own Life (1914), Emmeline Pankhurst explains that the society in general felt curious about the reasons why they were using force to make their voice heard. To her, in men’s history there have always been conflicts to achieve what they needed “For every advance of men's political freedom has been marked with violence and the destruction of property” (Pankhurst; 214). On the other hand, Politicians in general were not just against supporting suffragettes but, also, they were using force to contain them. One of the most common arguments against women’s suffrage was that politics was a pure element within society and that the mere participation of women on politics would make it abnormal, as it can be seen in Ideology and Feminism: Why the Suffragettes were “Wild Women” (1982) “opponents argued that by their involvement in politics women would be ‘almost debased or degraded’, their purity and modesty defiled” (Billington, 1982; 4).
Considering all of this, it can be seen that the creation of W.S.P.U. and the emergence of the suffragette movement promoted the idea rebel women, in a society which had fix ideals about women and their role within society. The struggle for women’s suffrage was not easy to pull off and the achievement of the vote took several years. The very first achievement in terms of the vote for women came in at 1918 when women over the age of 30 were allowed to vote, but the fully to vote women came in the year 1928 in the United

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Women’s suffrage began early on, in the mid 1800s, and only came to fruition in 1920. Suffragettes formed groups to fight for their rights, and the passage of the nineteenth amendments demonstrate the success of these groups, including the National Woman’s Party and the National American Woman Suffrage Association on politics. Progressivism was at it roots, a group movement, and the passage of this amendment signifies the inherent triumph of Progressivism. Goals of the Progressives were simple when simmered down: “Progressives sought to improve the conditions of life and labor and to create as much social stability as possible” (Link and McCormick 182). The accomplishment of female suffrage improves the female condition of life and betters social stability, as well as extends democracy.

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As there were both men and women that supported the movement, there were also men and women that were against the ideas of the Women’s suffrage movement. A lot of these ideas came from the perspective of gender roles. From the perspective of those against the women’s right to vote, people thought that women would not have enough time to keep up with the politics during the time. They were expected to take care of the children and the home. These ideas were based on the assumption that women were uneducated and that they would be automatically assigned to the role of a housewife.

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Women Suffrage movement began more active after 1894. For example, “In New York City, Josephine Shaw Lowell and Mary Putnam Jacobi formed the Woman Municipal League." (Dubois, 189) This organization was primary focusing on the corruption of public. “By the early 1900s, moreover, the spirit of political reform in New York City spread beyond the elite.”

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Women Suffrage movement began more active after 1894. For example, “In New York City, Josephine Shaw Lowell and Mary Putnam Jacobi formed the Woman Municipal League." (Dubois, 189) This organization was primary focusing on the corruption of public. “By the early 1900s, moreover, the spirit of political reform in New York City spread beyond the elite.”

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The Women’s Suffrage Movement I. Before the Women’s Suffrage Movement started, women didn’t have many rights. African-American women and slaves had less rights. They didn’t have legal protection; some didn’t even get the right to raise their own child. Other women had more rights, but not as many as men. They weren’t able to go to college, they had to work at home, weren’t allowed to have strong public opinions, some were sold or even forced into marriage so their family could get more money.

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The militant suffragettes played a role in helping British women make progress toward full political rights. One of the most well known groups were the Militant Suffragettes, who campaigned for full political rights for British women before the First World War. The militant Suffragettes mostly the Women 's Social and Political Union (WSPU) led by Emmeline Pankhurst, who was a political activist and a leader of the suffragette movement for women 's rights. The campaigners in the WSPU used many methods to fight for the women’s cause such as making speeches, holding rallies, handing out flyers and writing to members of parliament about women 's rights.

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During the later nineteenth century, a generally held view was that women were classified as ‘second class citizens’ –inferior to men, considered to be dim-witted, ludicrous mentally and emotionally and therefore incapable of voting. While men were ‘breadwinners’ who had a role to play in the government and professional life, women by contrast, were told to devote themselves on rearing the children and performing ‘good deeds.’ They desired to gain the right to vote to put an end to the society’s grudges and be citizens with equal rights as men. The government ignored their protests as they weren’t interested in paying heeds to just a bunch of low mentality individuals which led to the rise of ‘Suffragists and Suffragettes’ the former performing

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It was an enormous social change for women to take part in public decision making, and gave them a voice to abolish unjust laws. The suffragettes in Australia argued that they were intelligent enough to vote, that it was unfair for them to be taxed without representation, and that they were equal to men therefore should have equal rights. In contrary, the suffragettes’ opponents alleged that women already had indirect power through manipulating their husbands and father’s voting choices at the ballot box, that women were equal but different and that women could not fulfil the duties of citizenship therefore should not vote. The suffragettes encouraged people to sign their petition, as well as held meeting and debates in order to gain supporters. Women in Australia used civil methods of protest, and didn’t adapt the more radical methods used by suffragettes in other countries.

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Thank you, Millicent Fawcett, for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the National Union of Women 's Suffrage Societies which Millicent leads with grace and dignity. Some of you may know me and some of you may not, but I am Clementine Forest one of 3000 women suffragists who has marched here today, the largest march ever occurred, for the cause of women 's suffrage. I am here to represent and express the importance of women receiving the right to vote. Unfortunately, the London weather wasn 't on our side with the presence of heavy rain throughout our march from Hyde Park to Exter Hall, but this reinforces that nothing will stop women from protesting their right to vote. As you know we have been gathered together as one, today on February 9th, 1907, the day in which Parliament is open once again for the coming year.

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Suffrages chose to take a more militant style approach to capture the attention of the government in a way that could not be ignored. They became a public nuisance in terms of publically demonstrating their frustration through actions rather than words. In “Freedom or Death,” Pankhurst speaks on behalf of the suffrage women, “we were called militant, and were quite willing to accept the name. We were determined to press this question of the enfranchisement of women to the point where we were no longer ignored by the politicians” (Pankhurst, 2). Though militant had a negative association, the suffragists prided their actions fighting for an honourable peace.

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