How Did Emmeline Pankhurst Contribute To Women's Suffrage

Emmeline Pankhurst, who was a British political activist, was very involved in ending women’s suffrage. Due to her exposure to women’s suffrage at such a young age, Pankhurst led the British suffragette movement in order for women to gain the right to vote (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). In 1879, Emmeline Pankhurst married Richard Pankhurst, who was much older and a supporter of women’s right to vote as well. Throughout the next ten years, Richard and Emmeline had five children and Richard was very supportive and helpful towards Emmeline’s involvement in the Women’s Franchise League (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). The Women’s Franchise League endorsed suffrage for both married and unmarried women, but broke apart in the years following the start of it

After the death of her husband in 1904, Emmeline started the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was “an all-women suffrage advocacy organisation dedicated to ‘deeds, not words’” (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). Pankhurst, in the organization, was known for her militaristic ideas, which resulted to be critical in the achievement of women’s suffrage. The WSPU tended to be extremely violent and many of the women were arrested for smashing windows and hurting police officers (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). They also staged hunger strike that most often ended with the WSPU being force fed (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). All of these acts and measures were completed in order for women to have equal rights and suffrage. During the First World War, the WSPU stopped their riots, but Emmaline later transformed the WSPU into the Women’s Party (“Emmeline Pankhurst”). As she aged, she joined the Conservative Party, eventually being elected as a candidate for the Whitechapel and

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was written in 1792 by Mary Wollstonecraft, who was one of the very first feminists. Both of the authors in these sources describe their belief on women’s rights during their time through precedents and questioning why women have different rights as men. Pankhurst urges for women’s voting rights, but Wollstonecraft believes women deserve an education becuase of their position in society ("A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”). While education is a recurring topic in the book, Wollstonecraft “calls for equality between the sexes” and portrays how women deserve the same rights as men in society ("A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”). Throughout both sources, two themes were brought up many times: the double standard of women and marriage. Wollstonecraft also describes how women should be treated as a companion in marriage, rather than a “mere wife” and how men and women should respect their marriage ("A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”). Why Are We Militant expands on this idea by explaining the precedent of a husband bringing a mistress into his home; however, Pankhurst brought up the topic of divorce, which was very forward during Wollstonecraft’s time. Both of these authors are considered feminists due to their position in fighting for women’s rights. Although Wollstonecraft was