Introduction
• Different groups used different tactics to achieve women’s suffrage.
• Suffragists used peaceful methods like petitions and lobbying MPs.
• Peaceful tactics helped gain support and sympathy for women’s suffrage.
• However, other factors were also important such as the militant actions of the Women’s Social and Political Union and women’s role during World War I.
• The essay evaluates how important peaceful tactics were compared to these other reasons.
Suffragists - Peaceful Tactics
• Led by Millicent Fawcett.
• Organisation was the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).
• Had over 50,000 members by 1914.
• Used methods such as marches, petitions, public meetings and lobbying MPs.
• Peaceful tactics helped gain support from some politicians.
• Made women appear responsible and reasonable.
• Helped change attitudes in Parliament about women participating in politics.
• However, progress was slow.
• Petitions and marches were often ignored by the government.
• Little change had been achieved by 1914.
Suffragettes - Militant Tactics
• Led by Emmeline Pankhurst.
• Organisation was the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).
• Motto was “Deeds not Words.”
• Used militant tactics such as window smashing, arson and hunger strikes.
• Their actions gained major newspaper coverage.
• Forced politicians and the public to pay attention to women’s suffrage.
• Created pressure on the government to consider reform.
• However, their violence sometimes reduced public support.
• Some people believed their actions made women look irresponsible.
Women’s War Work
• During World War I women replaced men who had gone to fight.
• Many women worked in factories and munitions production.
• By 1917 hundreds of thousands of women were working in munitions factories.
• Showed women were capable of doing jobs traditionally done by men.
• Proved women were responsible and hardworking.
• Helped weaken arguments that women were too emotional or unreliable to vote.
• However, dilution meant women were often only trained in semi-skilled roles.
• Some politicians still believed women were not fully equal to men.
• The Representation of the People Act 1918 only gave the vote to women over 30 who met property qualifications.
Women’s Land Army
• The Women’s Land Army helped the war effort during World War I.
• Women worked on farms to replace men fighting in the war.
• Helped produce food and keep the country running.
• Demonstrated that women could do important physical work traditionally done by men.
• Helped change public and political attitudes towards women.
• However, only some women were involved.
• Many women were still excluded from voting after the war.
Conclusion
• Peaceful suffragist tactics helped build early support for women’s suffrage.
• Suffragettes increased attention through militant actions.
• Women’s work during World War I helped prove their capability and responsibility.
• The war helped lead to the Representation of the People Act 1918 which gave some women the vote.
• Overall, peaceful tactics were important but not the main reason women gained the vote.
