Suffragettes

Who were the Suffragettes?

The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) were militant campaigners known as the Suffragettes.

Who led the Suffragettes?

They were led by Emmeline Pankhurst.

What tactics did the Suffragettes use?

They used more militant tactics such as disrupting political meetings, arson, breaking windows and chaining themselves to railings.

What did the Suffragettes do?

There were five key events:

• ❖ In 1908, they organised a rally in Hyde Park with 25,000 people. They smashed windows in Downing Street.
• ❖ In 1909, the first hunger strikes by imprisoned suffragettes began. They were force fed.
• ❖ In 1913, the Cat and Mouse Act was introduced. This meant women could be released while on hunger strike and then rearrested when they began eating again.
• ❖ In 1913, Emily Davison died after jumping in front of King George V's horse at the Derby, as a stunt to create publicity for the suffragettes' cause.
• ❖ In 1913, they carried out an arson attack on the chancellor's house.

When were the Suffragettes created?

The WSPU was founded in 1903.

What was the significance of the Suffragettes?

The Suffragettes were significant for three key reasons:

• ❖ They helped women win the vote in 1918 by constantly keeping the issue in the public eye before the First World War, and then supporting the war effort by pausing their campaigning during the war.
• ❖ Fear of militant action restarting after the war ended helped persuade politicians to give women the vote.
• ❖ They inspired other campaigns, such as that in 1970 for women to receive equal pay.
• ❖ They inspired further rights for women such as the Abortion Act 1967 and the Divorce Act 1969.