Power and the People – revision material CONTENT
Factors to think about:
War (and violence)
Religion
Chance
Government
Communication
Economy
Ideas
Role of the individual
Topic 1: Women getting the vote
Suffragists:
Suffragists belonged to the NUWSS (National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies)
Middle class women who believed in peaceful methods – felt they had to persuade
men to give them the vote, by showing that women were kind and gentle.
They lobbied MPs (put pressure on them), were trained to speak publicly and
created petitions and pamphlets.
Suffragettes:
By 1903 a member of the Manchester NUWSS – Emmeline Pankhurst, decided it was
time to take direct action. With her daughters she formed the Women’s Social and
Political Union (WSPU).
They believed in ‘deeds not words’ and focused on generating publicity e.g.
Christabel Pankhurst deliberately spat in a police officer’s eye and was arrested.
Refused to pay fine and was sent to prison. Seven days in prison and lots of publicity.
The Women’s Freedom League
By 1907, some WSPU members did not approve of the violent tactics used and broke
away to form the WFL
They were mostly pacifists (did not agree with violence)
Move to more militant tactics
(When the government did not pass an act in 1912 to extend the right to women the
NUWSS started a pilgrimage from Carlisle to London)
The Suffragettes started to use more militant tactics:
Heckled MPs during their speeches
Stood outside House of Commons and held demonstrations
1912 – stone throwing campaign – hundreds of windows smashed and over 200
Suffragettes arrested. The court case for this got them lots of publicity
Arson attacks – blowing up buildings. MPs put on high alert for suspicious packages
, 1912 – Emmeline Pankhurst declared ‘I incite this meeting to rebellion’ at a meeting
of suffragettes.
Emmeline Pankhurst declared once ‘I would rather be a rebel than a slave!’
*1913 parliament made another attempt to give women the vote – this failed*
Arrest/prison - suffragettes
Suffragettes often arrested for violent attacks, disturbing the peace or chaining
themselves to railings
When in prison they went on hunger strike – they used this to gain publicity
The government knew they could not have women dying in prison – they were
middle class women with fathers/husbands in influential jobs
Prison officers tried to force feed suffragettes – however it was dangerous and could
lead to disability/death
Due to the dangers of force feeding the government passed the Prisoners
(Temporary Discharge for Health) Act 1913 – this would allow them to release the
women when they became too weak through starvation
Once the women were rehabilitated (helped) and healthy enough to return to
prison, they would be re-arrested
The act became known as the Cat and Mouse Act
Responses to the suffragettes:
The suffragettes started to attract criticism for their actions with many people at the
time feeling that they were actually preventing women getting the vote, rather than
helping.
Their violent actions made them look, in some people’s eyes, irrational and
unbalanced – the very reasons why some people said that women should not have
the vote.
Even many women objected to the campaign for universal suffrage – they believed a
woman’s place was at home, as a mother and wife. They did not view politics as a
female sphere.
The PM Herbert Asquith agreed with this view, he thought women should only be
given the vote if it improved government, and could see no argument for giving
women the vote.
WSPU kept in the spotlight but alienated supporters
Membership or moderate NUWSS grew from 12,000 to 50,000 as pro-suffrage
supporters rejected violence
By 1912 – suffragettes had alienated many MPs – stopping the Suffrage Bill from
getting through (suffragettes had to now turn to the very small Labour Party, not
Liberals to support their cause)
Topic 2: Why was the trial and execution of King Charles significant?
Factors to think about:
War (and violence)
Religion
Chance
Government
Communication
Economy
Ideas
Role of the individual
Topic 1: Women getting the vote
Suffragists:
Suffragists belonged to the NUWSS (National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies)
Middle class women who believed in peaceful methods – felt they had to persuade
men to give them the vote, by showing that women were kind and gentle.
They lobbied MPs (put pressure on them), were trained to speak publicly and
created petitions and pamphlets.
Suffragettes:
By 1903 a member of the Manchester NUWSS – Emmeline Pankhurst, decided it was
time to take direct action. With her daughters she formed the Women’s Social and
Political Union (WSPU).
They believed in ‘deeds not words’ and focused on generating publicity e.g.
Christabel Pankhurst deliberately spat in a police officer’s eye and was arrested.
Refused to pay fine and was sent to prison. Seven days in prison and lots of publicity.
The Women’s Freedom League
By 1907, some WSPU members did not approve of the violent tactics used and broke
away to form the WFL
They were mostly pacifists (did not agree with violence)
Move to more militant tactics
(When the government did not pass an act in 1912 to extend the right to women the
NUWSS started a pilgrimage from Carlisle to London)
The Suffragettes started to use more militant tactics:
Heckled MPs during their speeches
Stood outside House of Commons and held demonstrations
1912 – stone throwing campaign – hundreds of windows smashed and over 200
Suffragettes arrested. The court case for this got them lots of publicity
Arson attacks – blowing up buildings. MPs put on high alert for suspicious packages
, 1912 – Emmeline Pankhurst declared ‘I incite this meeting to rebellion’ at a meeting
of suffragettes.
Emmeline Pankhurst declared once ‘I would rather be a rebel than a slave!’
*1913 parliament made another attempt to give women the vote – this failed*
Arrest/prison - suffragettes
Suffragettes often arrested for violent attacks, disturbing the peace or chaining
themselves to railings
When in prison they went on hunger strike – they used this to gain publicity
The government knew they could not have women dying in prison – they were
middle class women with fathers/husbands in influential jobs
Prison officers tried to force feed suffragettes – however it was dangerous and could
lead to disability/death
Due to the dangers of force feeding the government passed the Prisoners
(Temporary Discharge for Health) Act 1913 – this would allow them to release the
women when they became too weak through starvation
Once the women were rehabilitated (helped) and healthy enough to return to
prison, they would be re-arrested
The act became known as the Cat and Mouse Act
Responses to the suffragettes:
The suffragettes started to attract criticism for their actions with many people at the
time feeling that they were actually preventing women getting the vote, rather than
helping.
Their violent actions made them look, in some people’s eyes, irrational and
unbalanced – the very reasons why some people said that women should not have
the vote.
Even many women objected to the campaign for universal suffrage – they believed a
woman’s place was at home, as a mother and wife. They did not view politics as a
female sphere.
The PM Herbert Asquith agreed with this view, he thought women should only be
given the vote if it improved government, and could see no argument for giving
women the vote.
WSPU kept in the spotlight but alienated supporters
Membership or moderate NUWSS grew from 12,000 to 50,000 as pro-suffrage
supporters rejected violence
By 1912 – suffragettes had alienated many MPs – stopping the Suffrage Bill from
getting through (suffragettes had to now turn to the very small Labour Party, not
Liberals to support their cause)
Topic 2: Why was the trial and execution of King Charles significant?
