Suffragettes were members of women's suffrage (right to vote) movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in Great Britain and United States. Suffragist is a more general term for members of suffrage movements, whether radical or conservative, male or female.
The term "Suffragette" is particularly associated with the actions of the women's suffrage movement in Britain in the early 20th century, which included chaining themselves to railings and setting fire to mailbox contents. One woman, Emily Davison, died whilst trying to throw a suffragette banner over the King's horse at the Epsom Derby on 5 June 1913. Many suffragettes were imprisoned in Holloway Prison in London, and were force-fed after going on hunger strike.
In the United States, women over 21 were first allowed to vote in the territories of Wyoming from 1869 and in Utah from 1870, and with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment the suffrage was extended to women across the United States in time for the 1920 presidential election. Women over 21 were allowed to vote in New Zealand from 1893, in Australia from 1894, and in Canada from 1919. Women in Britain were given the vote in 1918 if over 30 and meeting certain property qualifications, and in 1928 suffrage was extended to all women over the age of 21.[1]
Suffragettes were mostly women from upper– and middle-class backgrounds, frustrated by their social and economic situation. Their struggles for change within society, along with the work of such advocates for women’s rights as John Stuart Mill, were enough to spearhead a movement that would encompass mass groups of women fighting for suffrage. Mill had first introduced the idea of women’s suffrage on the platform he presented to the British electorate in 1865.[3] He would later be joined by numerous men and women fighting for the same cause.
New Zealand was the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote; in 1893 all women over the age of 21 were permitted to vote in parliamentary elections.[4] Women in South Australia achieved the same right in 1894 but became the first to obtain the right to stand (run) for Parliament.[5]
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, which was founded in 1897, formed of a collection of local suffrage societies. This union was led by Millicent Fawcett, who believed in constitutional campaigning, like issuing leaflets, organising meetings and presenting petitions. However this campaigning did not have much effect. So in 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded a new organisation, the Women's Social and Political Union. Pankhurst thought that the movement would have to become radical and militant if it was going to be effective. The Daily Mail later gave them the name "Suffragettes".[6]
A few historians feel that some of the suffragettes' actions actually damaged their cause. The argument was that women should not get the vote because they were too emotional and could not think as logically as men; their violent and aggressive actions were used as evidence in support of this argument.[7][8]
Early 20th century
Memorial edition of The Suffragette newspaper dedicated to Emily Davison
Great Britain
1912 was a turning point for the British suffragettes as they turned to using more militant tactics such as chaining themselves to railings, setting fire to mailbox contents, smashing windows and occasionally detonating bombs.[9] This was because the current Prime Minister at the time, Asquith, nearly signed a document giving women (over 30 and either married to a property-owner or owning a property themselves) the right to vote. But he pulled out at the last minute, as he thought the women may vote against him in the next General Election, stopping his party (Liberals) from getting into Parliament/ruling the country.
One suffragette, Emily Davison, died under the King's horse, Anmer at the Epsom Derby of June 5, 1913. She was trying to pin a "vote for Women" banner on the kings horse. [10] Many of her fellow suffragettes were imprisoned and went on a hunger strike as a scare tactic against the government. The Liberal government of the day led by H. H. Asquith responded with the Cat and Mouse Act. When a Suffragette was sent to prison, it was assumed that she would go on hunger strike as this caused the authorities maximum discomfort. The Cat and Mouse Act allowed the Suffragettes to go on a hunger strike and let them get weaker and weaker. When the Suffragette was very weak, they were released from prison. If they died out of prison, this was of no embarrassment to the government, however, some Suffragettes who were especially weak were force fed with tubes which went down their throats and into their stomach. This meant that none of those who were released died but they were so weak that they could take no part in violent Suffragette struggles. When those who had been arrested and released had regained their strength they were re-arrested for the most trivial of reasons and the whole process began again. This, from the government's point of view, was a very simple but effective weapon against the Suffragettes.
The militants responded by agitation and bombings and arson. Though the WSPU occasionally used violence prior to 1913, the House of Commons' rejection of a franchise bill in January 1913 spurred it to escalate the attacks and to focus more on nongovernment targets. Historians have counted over 330 violent incidents, mostly in urban areas of greater London and northern central England was high. Bearman concludes that thde WSPU militancy did not hasten the extension of suffrage.[11]
World War
David Lloyd George and other political leaders felt that the public marches, hunger strikes, vandalism, and arson were actually losing them support. However, with the coming of war in August 1914, the suffragettes focused on women's war work, which turned public opinion in favour of their eventual partial enfranchisement in 1918.[12]
Women eagerly volunteered take on many of the traditional male roles — this led to a new view of what a woman was capable of doing. The war also caused a split in the British suffragette movement, with the mainstream, represented by Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst's WSPU calling a 'ceasefire' in their campaign for the duration of the war, while more radical suffragettes, represented by Sylvia Pankhurst's Women's Suffrage Federation continued the struggle.
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, which had always employed "constitutional" methods, continued to lobby during the war years, and compromises were worked out between the NUWSS and the coalition government.[13] On 6 February, the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, enfranchising women over the age of 30 who met minimum property qualifications.[14] About 8.4 million women gained the vote.[14] In November 1918, the Eligibility of Women Act was passed, allowing women to be elected into Parliament.[14] The Representation of the People Act 1928 extended the voting franchise to all women over the age of 21, granting women the vote on the same terms as men.[15]
United States
Colours
Pendant presented to Louise Eates in 1909
From 1908 the WSPU adopted the colour scheme of purple, white and green: purple symbolised dignity, white purity, and green hope. These three colours were used for banners, flags, rosettes and badges, and appeared in newspaper cartoons and postcards.[16]
Mappin & Webb, the London jewellers, issued a catalogue of suffragette jewellery for Christmas 1908.
In 1909 the WSPU presented specially commissioned pieces of jewellery to leading suffragettes Emmeline Pankhurst and Louise Eates. Some Arts and Crafts jewellery of the period incorporated the colours purple, white and green using enamel and semi-precious stones such as amethysts, pearls, and peridots.
However jewellery that incorporated these stones was already quite common in women's jewellery during the late 19th century, before 1903 and could not be connected with the suffragettes, before the WSPU adopted the colours. Also, it is a popular myth that the colours were green, white, and violet, in order to spell GWV as an acronym for "Give Women Votes".[17]
Portrait badge of Emmeline Pankhurst (c. 1909) Sold in large numbers by the WSPU to raise funds
Suffragette Banner (c. 1910)
Votes for Women poster (1909)
WSPU poster (1914)
Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, a suffragette from Washington, DC
American suffragette parade, New York City in 1905, Broadway to Union Square. The image shows men gathering to hear the suffragettes speak.
Louise Hall, with brush, and Susan Fitzgerald post bills in Cincinnati for women's suffrage.
Mrs. Norman Whitehouse making a street speech for suffrage, December 1913.
Mrs. Richard Coke Burleson, Grand Marshall of a suffrage parade, March 3, 1913.
R.C. Beadle and A.H. Brown of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage receiving a banner from Frances Bjorkman in New York City, 1915.
April 7, 1916, Nell Richardson and Mrs. Alice Burke set out on a national automobile tour to campaign for women's suffrage awareness, driving from New York City to San Francisco in the "Golden Flyer".
A woman distributes suffrage broadsides, January 1911.
A women's suffrage float in the parade of the New York Fair, Yonkers, 1913.
Suffragists travelled to New York City Hall in a decorated float to present Mayor Gaynor with tickets to a suffrage event.
Margaret Vale, niece of President Wilson, demonstrating for women's suffrage in New York City, October 1915.
"Tennessee" Celeste Claflin with other suffragettes.
Woman showing a marching costume, Chicago suffrage parade, June 6, 1916.
A pre-election women's suffrage parade in New York City, October, 1915. 20,000 women marched.
UK WSPU Hunger Strike Medal July 30th 1909 including the bar 'Fed by Force 17 September 1909'. The Medal awarded to Mabel Capper records the first instance of forcible feeding of hunger striking Suffragette prisoners in England at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham.
The struggle for democracy Visit the British Library learning resource pages to discover more about the suffragette movement
Suffragettes versus Suffragists - website comparing aims and methods of Women’s Social and Political Union (Suffragettes) to National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (Suffragists)
Suffragists vs. Suffragettes - brief article outlining origins of term "suffragette", usage of term and links to other sources.
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