This year marks 100 years since (some) women won the right to vote. The Suffragettes and the Suffragists were the two main women's groups who helped win women the vote in 1918. Though, it has been debated by historians whether it was the Suffragettes or the Suffragists who won women the vote in 1918.
Perhaps it's fair to say that both the Suffragettes and the Suffragists, contributed to women eventually gaining the vote in 1918. The Suffragists were the first of the two groups to campaign for the right of women to vote. Therefore, they started the movement. It could be argued that their campaign was successful in attaining the vote - the initial vote in 1918, was won on their terms and wants. But this doesn't rule out the Suffragettes as insignificant; they played an important role in women attaining the vote. Their militant acts certainly drew wider attention to the cause. Those militant acts certainly made an impact on society at the time.
Women did not get the vote right away. It took almost 100 years of campaigning by the Suffragists and the Suffragettes for women to get the vote for all women over 21. It started in 1832, when a woman named Mary Smith, went to the Houses of Parliament with a petition, asking for women to be given the right to vote. By 1928, almost 100 years later, all women over the age of 21, won the right to vote in the UK.
Inbetween those years, the struggle for women's suffrage, was an ongoing battle. Some men also helped campaign for women to receive the vote, such as John Stuart Mill. In 1866, John Stuart Mill petitioned the House of Commons for women to receive the vote. That petition by John Stuart Mills was unsuccessful. The next year, in 1867, John Stuart Mill again presented the House of Commons for women to receive the vote, through the Second Reform Act. This failed too. In the same year, The National Society for Women's Suffrage was formed. The was the first national women's suffrage group in the UK. The National Society for Women's Suffrage divided in 1903 into the Suffragettes and the Suffragists. Before the National Society for Women's Suffrage divided into two groups, a few things happened in relation to women's suffrage in the UK. In 1881, women were given the right to vote in the Isles of Man. While in 1884, the Third Reform Act was rejected by parliament. And, as the century was coming to an end in 1897, Millicent Fawcett became the president of the National Society for Women's Suffrage Societies.
In 1903 the Suffragettes were born through the Women's Social and Political Union. In 1905, they started carrying out their militant activities, 'Deeds, not words' was the goal for them. In the years to come, women started to campaign out on the streets through protests; thousands marched for the right of women to vote.
By 1909, the Suffragettes hunger strikes and force-feeding began. Violent acts by Suffragettes continues throughout the coming years. There were many ways they gained attention through militant acts, including throwing rocks through windows and arson attacks. While in 1913, Emily Davison drew attention to the cause through running in front of a horse. Just a few weeks later, through consistent campaigning and protests, some women won the right to vote. In February 1918, The Representation of the People's Act was passed, this gave some women the right to vote.
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Votes For Women
This February marks the centenary of women achieving the right to vote. Campaigning for votes for women wasn’t easy. At the time, most men had secured the right to votes. February 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of when, some, women achieved the right to vote. Votes for women were given to some women in February 1918. The Representation of the Peoples Act 1918 The Representation of the Peoples Act 1918 gave some women over the the age of 30 years. Votes for women were only given to women who received the right to vote on certain conditions, namely – property owning conditions. Men of the same acquirement's had already achieved the vote. Men received the vote throughout the 19th century at various times in the UK. Firstly, there was the Reform Act 1832, which enfranchised some men. Then later there was the Second Reform Act 1867, and the Third Reform Act 1884. However, many men still didn’t receive the right to vote.
The Representation of the Peoples Act 1918, enfranchised both men and women. Most working class men received the right to vote with this act. Whereas, working class women did not. The act was really giving votes for women to middle-class women, who had property qualifications. It took further reform working class women to receive vote on the same terms as many.
Votes For Women A Remarkable Achievement Votes for women were a remarkable achievement. It was a huge step in history, which helped change the course of history for the UK; especially for women. It provided a landmark achievement in UK history, which would be the beginning of one of many milestones for women in the 20th century. What would succeed it was women having more employment opportunities and educational opportunities, women playing an important part of both World Wars, women’s fashion becoming less restricted (trousers became more common for women to wear), the first female Prime Minister in the UK. In the 21st century, we have the second female Prime Minister of our time. It’s hard to have imagine any of the latter things happening for women, without the Suffragettes and the Suffragists. |
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