The Work of Suffragists and Suffragettes

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The Work of Suffragists and Suffragettes

In the early 1800's, very few people were allowed to vote. Unlike

modern times voting was not seen as a 'human right'. Only the rich

were allowed to vote, it was thought that if you owned property then

you were 'respectable' and were sensible enough to use the vote

properly. There was also a gender qualification, in which only men

could vote.

In 1832, 1867 and 1884, Electoral Reform Acts were passed which

reduced the property qualification, increasing the amount of men who

could vote. By 1900, most working class men who had a permanent

address could vote. But women were still not given the vote.

In 1867, MP John Stuart Mill suggested giving women the vote. 73 MP's

were in favour of the motion but the bill was abandoned. Recognising

the support for women's suffrage, Mrs Millicent Garrett set up the

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). This group was

made up of hundreds of suffrage groups around the country who were

determined to give women the vote. The groups consisted of mainly

middle-class women. By 1902, the campaign had gained the support of

many working-class women as well. These groups were called the

suffragists.

The suffragists did not demand in getting the vote for all women. They

wanted women to have the vote on the same term as men. They saw their

campaigns not as an attack on male suffrage but for the good of

everyone. They used peaceful methods of trying to direct public

opinion towards the fact that women should have the vote. They did not

use violence instead just issued leaflets and held meetings with

politicians to discuss the issue of women's suffrage.

But, by 1903 women's suffrage was getting no further and Mrs Emmeline

Pankhurst, a member of the Manchester Suffrage Society, grew tired of

Labour's lukewarm attitude of votes for women and set up the Women's

Social and Political Union (WSPU).Mrs Pankhurst thought that the

movement had to be more radical and militant if it was to gain any

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