The First World War and Women's Suffrage in Britain

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Recommended: Role of women Effects of World War 1

Outline

A. Plan of Investigation

B. Summary of Evidence

C. Evaluation of Sources

D. Analysis

Works Cited

A. Plan of Investigation

The 19th century was an important phase for feminism in Britain. The suffrage movement began as a struggle to achieve equal rights for women in 1872. Women then became active in their quest for political recognition, which they finally obtained in 1928.

This investigation assesses the question: To what extent did the First World War lead to the accomplishment of the women’s suffrage movement of Britain in 1928?

Two of the sources used in the essay, The Women’s Suffrage: a short history of a great Movement by Millicent Garrett Fawcett, and The cause: a short history of the women's movement in Great Britain By Ray Strachey, are evaluated for their origin, purpose, value and limitations. This investigation will consider the role of women before, during, and after the war.

B. Summary of Evidence

The Women’s national movement, in the United Kingdom began in 1792, in response to female oppression and lack of rights. (Strachey, 12) The female society had narrow and futile lives, (Fawcett, 13) women had no place in national politics, and they were absolute to men and had no real standing of their own. (Fawcett, 15) Their justification of existence was to be wives, child bearers, and daughters of men. (Strachey, 16) For example, in 1832 the word ‘male’ was introduced instead of ‘person’ in the Reform act, showing the discrimination of females in the society. (Rover, 84)

Women faced a bitter reality, thus sought ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” as claimed by Mary Wollstonecraft, whose book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, expresses the feminist ideal and claim for human righ...

... middle of paper ...

... Suffragettes: the Women's Social and Political Union, 1903-1918. Madison [N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 1999. Print.

• "Millicent Garrett Fawcett: Biography." Spartacus Educational. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. .

• "Ray Strachey: Biography." Spartacus Educational. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. .

• Bourke, Joanna. "Women on the Home Front in World War One." BBC News. BBC. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. .

• Rover, Constance. Women's Suffrage and Party Politics in Britain, 1866-1914. SPH, 1967. Print.

• Strachey, Ray. Cause: a Short History of the Women's Movement in Great Britain. London: Virago, 1988. Print.

• Pugh, Martin. Women and the Women's Movement in Britain, 1914-1999. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000. Print.

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