Techniques Of Suffragists And Suffragettes

Describe the ways in which the methods of the suffragists and suffragettes were different.

Women started campaigning to win the vote in the 1850's. Small local groups had meetings nationwide to present their arguement for allowing women to vote. In 1877 - 78 there were 1,300 meetings - this represents how serious the women were.The campaigners were mainly middle class, as, upper class ladies most propably found "campaigning" and "argueing" unlady like and inappropriate. However this does not mean they they too did not want the right to vote.

The campaigners were known as The NUWSS (Suffragists) and were formed in 1897 by Millicent Garrett Fawcet - who, was finally rewarded when she saw, 60 years later, women recieving the vote. They beleived in constitutional peaceful campaiging such as, issuing leaflets, presenting petitions, arguing cases with MP's in an orderly manner etc. They made use of their "inner circles" of politions they could reach through their husbands and other family members. However progress was slow and the furthest they had got with their campaign was A.) raising awareness and B.) more than half MP's had "said" they wished to give women to the vote. Although there is a large difference in "saying" and doing. Just because the government had said they wanted to give women the vote did not mean they were going to - pherhaps they said to silence the women for a while. Millicent Fawcett understood this and said that her movement was "like a glacier" it might be slow moving but it was poweful and unstoppable. As this may be true, it does not guarentee that they were going to get results.

With the suffragettes "peaceful campaign" going nowhere - by 1900 womens suffrage was refused 15 times! People were beggining to lose faith in the idea, so, in 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters formed a group called the Women's social and political union. Nicknaming themselves the "suffragettes" unlike the suffragists they also campaigned for for better working and living conditions. They used direct action, shock tactics and sometimes used violence. For example harassing ministers, Heckling at mettings (1905), deliberatly trying to get arrested and go to prision - whilst in prision they also went on hunger strikes and were forced to eat by tying them to chairs. - This kind of behaiviour was seen as outrageous through the public eye - however it soon became important news, it catched peoples attention and made them aware of how serious they were - willing to give their lives in order to recieve the vote. Emily Davisions death was, and still is, a well known incident that occured at the Derby race course. However both movements still managed to support each other e.g. a letter written by Mrs Fawcett to The Times when suffragettes leaders were in prision in 1906. "I hope that the more old fashioned Suffragists will stand by their comrades..." This support shows that although, they may use different methods and tatics they were still fighting for the same thing, still standing as one. This Unity shows great strenght and altogether makes them more stronger. However this "unity" may have been seen as a different matter in others eyes.. for example a cartoon drawn by Bernard Partridge was published in 1906 by Punch Magazine showing the difference between the two different

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