A British suffragette (c.
Suffragette is a term originally coined by the
Daily Mail newspaper as a
derogatory label for the more
radical and
militant members of the late-19th and early-20th
century movement for
women's
suffrage in
the United Kingdom, in particular members of the
Women's Social and Political
Union . However, after former and then active members of the
movement began to
reclaim the word,
the term became a label without negative connotations. It derives
from the word "
suffrage", meaning the right
to
vote.
Suffragist is a more general term for members of
suffrage movements, whether radical or conservative, male or
female.
American
campaigners
preferred this more inclusive title, while those Americans hostile
to women's suffrage used "suffragette" as a pejorative, emphasizing its feminine "-ette"
ending. In Britain, "suffragist" is generally used solely to
identify members of the
National Union of
Women's Suffrage Societies .
Origins of women's suffrage movements
The suffrage movement was mainly women from middle class
backgrounds. These women were frustrated by their social and
economic situation and sought for an outlet through which to
initiate change. 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 brought the idea of women’s suffrage up in
the platform he presented to British electors in 1865. He would
later be joined by numerous men and women fighting for the same
cause.
A few historians feel that some of the suffragettes' actions
actually damaged their cause. The argument was that the
suffragettes 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 .
New Zealand
was the first self-governing country in the world
to grant women the vote. In 1893, all women over the age of
21 were permitted to vote in parliamentary elections.
Early 20th-century suffrage movements
Suffragettes carried out
direct action
such as chaining themselves to railings, setting fire to mailbox
contents, smashing windows and on occasions setting off bombs. One
suffragette,
Emily Davison, died after
she stepped out in front of
the King's horse, Anmer, at
the
Epsom Derby of 1913. Many of her
fellow suffragettes were imprisoned and went on
hunger strikes, during which they were
restrained and
forcibly fed and had
reached the height of their campaign by 1912.
The so-called
Cat and Mouse Act of
1913 was passed by the
British
government to prevent suffragettes from obtaining public
sympathy; it provided the release of those whose hunger strikes had
brought them sickness, as well as their re-imprisonment once they
had recovered.
Nevertheless, protests continued on both sides of the Atlantic.
Alice Paul and
Lucy
Burns led a series of protests against the
Wilson Administration in Washington
that referred to "Kaiser Wilson" and compared the plight of the
German people with that of American women.
During
World War I, a serious shortage
of able-bodied men ("manpower") occurred, and women were required
to 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
Women's Social and Political
Union, 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.
Political
movement towards women's suffrage began during the war and in 1918,
the Parliament of the United
Kingdom
passed an act (the Representation of the
People Act 1918) granting the vote to: women over the age of 30
who were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of
property with an annual rent of £5, and graduates of British universities.
The right to vote of American women was codified in the
Nineteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Finally,
women in the United Kingdom achieved suffrage on the same terms as
men in 1928.
Colours
From 1908 the WSPU adopted the colour scheme of purple, white and
green. Purple symbolised dignity; White for purity; and Green for
hope.These three colours were used for banners, flags, rosettes and
badges; as well as appearing in newspaper cartoons and
postcards.
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 it is rather a moot point
whether all such jewellery is connected with the suffragettes, as
these stones were already quite common in women's jewellery during
the late 19th century, before the WSPU adopted the colours.
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'.
Notable suffragettes
United Kingdom
Australia
USA
New Zealand
Gallery
Image:Portrait Badge of Emmeline Pankhurst - c1909 - Museum of
London.jpg|Portrait badge of Emmeline Pankhurst - c1909 - Sold in
large numbers by the WSPU to raise funds for its cause - Museum of
LondonImage:Suffragette Banner - Musuem of London.jpg|Suffragette
Banner - c1910 - Museum of LondonImage:Votes For Women.jpg|Votes
for Women poster - 1909Image:Cat and Mouse Act Poster -
1914.jpg|WSPU poster - 1914 - Museum of LondonImage:Louise Eates
Pendant - 1909 - Museum of London.jpg|Silver, enamel and amethyst
pendant, presented to suffragette Louise Eates - 1909 - Museum of
London
See also
Notes
- Rover, C. Women’s Suffrage and Party Politics in
Britain, University of Toronto Press, 1967, page 5.
- New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. New Zealand women and the vote. New Zealand History
online. Retrieved on: January 6, 2008.
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wkenney.htm
References
- Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (New York:
Merriam Webster, 1983) ISBN 0-87779-511-8
- 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.
- Melanie Phillips. The
Ascent of Woman: A History of the Suffragette Movement.
- Diane Atkinson. The Purple,
White and Green: Suffragettes in London, Museum of London,
1992
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