04 Suffragettes

Purvis

The suffragette movement was composed of loose coalitions of women, often based on friendship links or networks, who made their own decisions about militancy.

Temporary Discharge of Ill Health Act (1913)

'Cat and Mouse Act': allowed the discharge of prisoners on licence on the grounds of poor health, subject to re-arrest on expiry of license.

How did Millicent Fawcett, leader of the NUWSS, feel about militancy?

'One of his chief weapons against us was an assumed inability to distinguish between the militants and militance' also Kate Fyre 'suffrage party' cancelled because host had withdrawn 'owing to the letter box demonstrations' - frustration that it was used to avoid all serious discussion BUT they could be pinning 'militancy' as problem when actually against it all?

Emmeline Pankhurst Quote

'satisfied with nothing but action on our question. Deeds, not words, was to be our permanent motto'

What did Miss B. L. Hutchins, a member of the Fabian Women's Group with a practical interest in the conditions of women's factor employment, have to say about militant methods?

'the going to prison did a great deal for the cause at first, and make a profound impression, but that the leaders made a tactical mistake in carrying it on so long' 'They have woken up women and exploded the ideals of the drawing-rooms.'

Stanley Holton's criticism of Purvis and Crawford

(1) 'militancy' was not a single phenomenon (2) 'militancy' was not a static or uniform phenomenon (3) up until 1910, little sense to divide 20thC movement into two wings - 'militant' and 'constitutionalists', painting them as distinct and opposing (4) one distinction - political strategy

Holton (2019) Conclusion

- 20thC suffrage movement contained great variety and political complexity - variety = strength, tactics effective at different points - mutual support, internal tensions and cross-currents features in relations between between M and C organisations - not self-evident categories, unpicked to be of use to historians (history of radicalism)

Holton (2019) - 'militancy' was not a single phenomenon

- did not suddenly break out in 1904/1905 in WSPU - grew out of tensions that had emerged among suffragists in the 1890s - overlap between new suffrage societies and --- - focus on 20thC militancy ignores these complex continuities and variety of activity, varieties within militancy = 'masculinist' suffrage history, work of hysterical, deviant, exhibitionist and mentally ill women

Holton (2019) - 'militancy' was not a static or uniform phenomenon

- not solely determined by Pankhurst (WSPU), performance extended beyong - militancy societies broke away from WSPU e.g. (1) Women's Freedom League broke away cos of new constitution (2) Sylvia Pankhurst expelled, focus on wc communities (3) attitudes to WW1 - M tactics in line with long history of 'constitutionalism' (NUWWS), decentralised org and open leadership = contained inner tensions, no div til WW1

Holton (2019) - up until 1910, little sense to divide 20thC movement into two wings - 'militant' and 'constitutionalists', painting them as distinct and opposing

- prior 1912, WSPU and NUWSS

When do most historians believe 'militancy' began?

13 October 1905 Emmeline, Christabel and Annie Kenney (wc recruit) Free Trade Hall Charged with assault and obstruction, chose a week's imprisonment over a fine Heckling of PMs and willingness to go to prison = now part of militant tactics Newspapers claim behaviour would have been more appropriate to women of the slums

Past Exam Questions

2017: How far did the imprisonment of the suffragettes serve to hinder or help their cause? 2018: Discuss whether the militant suffragette campaign constituted a programme of criminal activity or political protest. 2019: To what extent did the actions of militant suffragettes creates a model for effective political protest?

Jane Purvis (2019) ARGUEMENT

ARGUEMENT - 'militancy embraced a broad range of behaviours, both legal and illegal, that were central to to the WPSU campaign and to the granting of the parliamentary vote' - "unity and friendship"(?)

Elizabeth Crawford (2019) Help or Hinder? Debate with Jane Purvis on BBC Radio's 4's Woman's Hour

ARGUEMENT 'The campaign for women's suffrage was a political campaign; the vote could only be won by political means. That the campaign was ultimately successful was due not to bombing and arson but as the result of deft political manoeuvring by the suffragists.'

Linda Mulcahy (2015) Methodological Reading ARGUMENT EXAMPLE

ARGUMENT - women had a more active role - ALBRAHAM SOLOMON's paintings contributed to the construction of the PASSIVE FEMALE SPECTATOR - reflected behavioral codes that sought to marginalize the role of women, supported by the prohibition of women jurors etc - ILLUSTRATED POLICE NEWS presented complex account of wc and mc spectators than make public gallery 'not only did women attend trials but that, contrary to common expectations of the gaze in modernity, WOMEN WATCHED MEN PERFORM' (titillated and evaluative) EXAMPLE Women depicted as behaving the exact same as men e.g. IPN 9 March 1889 verbal and physical outburst

When did 'militancy' supposedly start? Christabel

According to Purvis, Christabel claimed that militancy began on 20th Feb 1904 at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester where Conservative MP WC was speaking 'she suddenly stood up, uninvited, and to the astonishment and opposition of he audience asked for an amendment on women's suffrage' 'militancy for Christabel meant challenging the conventional expectation that women should be submissive and compliant, accepting the political status quo'

When did the actions committed by the WSPU activists become increasingly daring and hazardous?

After 30 June 1908 imprisonment - 1909 hunger strike - forcible feeding - 1913 Cat and Mouse Act

Elizabeth Crawford (2019) Help or Hinder? Debate with Jane Purvis on BBC Radio's 4's Woman's Hour EVIDENCE

EVIDENCE - idea of militancy as using physical force was not new (1982, Mary Cozens, WEU, dynamite) - mild militancy took the form of 'defiant resistance to the forces of law' (1903 Broad Sanctuary, 1905 Free Trade Hall) and became 'news' that promoted the suffrage of the cause - 'MILITANCY WAS HEADLINE-GRABBING' e.g. Pethick-Lawrences removed from WSPU because did not advocate militancy, ran headlines in Votes for Women such as 'The Revolutionaries' and 'The Revolutionary Movement' - we treat the bombings more seriously in light of the realities of domestic terrorism, the country was not truly perturbed by suffragette militancy e.g. DM drawing, no mention of fear in diary's/memoirs or insurance companies

When was the term 'militancy' first used within the suffragette movement? Emmeline

Emmeline Pankhurst described used to to describe an impromptu meeting held by WPSU members in Broad ---

What was suffragette militance? What forms did it take?

First, it seems important to consider what was suffragette militancy and what forms it took. The term 'militant' was applied to the tactics of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the aim of securing the parliamentary vote in Edwardian Britain in 1914. It is often applied to the tactics in 1912-14 where more violent, illegal forms of activism were undertaken and led by Christabel as the Union's Chief Organiser and supreme tactician. Before 1912, however, civil disobedience (newspapers), heckling, processions to parliament. However, herein lies the issue

Criticism of Purvis

Not just a neglect, but a disregard: - frame her article with 'roused thousands of women of all political persuasions and social classes to demand' - reference to one working class recruit - Annie Kenney - on 13 Oct 1905 - militant tactic being to occupy 'the same streets as men and 'unrespectable prostitutes'

Jane Purvis (2019) OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW - 3 themes (1) militancy REVITALISED the women's suffrage campaign and forced the gov and public to TAKE NOTICE (2) militancy was a form of FEMINIST CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING that that roused women from diff pol/class to demand vote (3) militancy was a key in bring about SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION to WSC

Angela V. John (2003) 'Behind the Locked Door': Evelyn Sharp, suffragette and rebel journalist

OVERVIEW - Evelyn Sharp (1869-1955) key figure in militant WSPU and Political Union and Unite d Suffragists - editor of VOTES FOR WOMEN - used position as journalist (The Yellow Book) to convey suffrage ideas to non-suffrage press who's progressive outlook stopped at militancy ARGUEMENT - multiple tactics in mainstream papers of male leadership (1) witty short stories = sense of humour (2) inform, generate debate = women as part of politics (3) shame or flatter progressive papers and journalists Overall: professionalism, journalistic experience meant she could not be completely ignored EVIDENCE - a letter to The Nation (1907) criticism of the use of the world 'Universal Suffrage' and also flatters 'would like to feel like they can look up' PRISON EXPERIENCE - 'Behind the Locked Door' imagery of the locked prison door (closed official minds) - WORKING CLASS - 14 day incarceration - 'The Adventure' - patronising do-gooder better understand plight of working class women - some wardresses were kind

Alyson Brown (2002)

OVERVIEW - challenge Purvis, Myall that ARGUEMENT - EXAMPLE

Stanley Holton (2019) The Language of Suffrage History

OVERVIEW - method: looks at language of suffrage history, partic attention to unpicking meaning of 'militant', 'militancy', 'constitutionalist' and 'suffragette' - picking apart meaning, not self-evident - against opposing identifications of 'militant' and 'constitutional' categories ARGUEMENT - specific: these overlapped - broad: by denying continuities between 19th and 20thC campaigns (conflict and tensions in M and C wings), focus on 'the suffragette' distorts the narrative of suffrage history EXAMPLE - WSPU and NUWWS differed in political strategy

Linda Mulcahy (2015) Methodological Reading OVERVIEW METHODOLOGY

OVERVIEW - revises the role of women in the legal system - wider (socio-legal dyanamics of trial) in the late 19thC: women's role in trials was relegated to defendants and witnesses - 'separate-spheres' theory - looks at illustrations of courtrooms scenes in popular culture and fine art - content analysis of 40 years of IPN METHODOLOGY 'These claims are made with a view to encouraging socio-legal scholars to move beyond the narrow confines of tet and lived experiences of law to a broader interrogation of what art can tell law about itself.'

Purvis vs Crawford on Donald McGill card Postcards published by commercial companies ridiculing suffragette bombers e.g. a gentleman walking over a London bridge, eyeing the ample and rounded rear of a lady, who is carrying a 'Votes for Women' flier, and thinking to himself 'Well! I've heard about Suffragettes and their Bombs'

Purvis: Strong-minded women, such as arsonists Kitty Marion and Lilian Lenton, could not be controlled by the WSPU leadership but chose what forms of militancy they engaged in. Crawford: 'Just as 50 years earlier the idea of a woman as a voter was considered so transgressive as to be risible, now so was the idea of a woman as a window-smasher, arsonist or bomber.' ME: I have no doubt that women chose their militant tactics, but the question is did they work? and a large part of that is how they were received? PUNCH was a cultural barometer

Window-breaking of 10 Downing Street PM Asquith - 30 Jun 1908 - Mary Leith and Edith New Perfect example fo diff perspectives

Purvis: equate militancy with initiative: 'on their own initiative': it meant trying out new tactics without the consent of WPSU leadership: AGENCY: Crawford: until wb 'the publicity generated by WSPU 'militancy' was invaluable in bringing the subject to prominence, to politicising women who hitherto had not given the subject any thought, and by forcing the NUWSS to greater efforts of organisation and propaganda NUWSS membership expanded rapidly, attracting many women who, roused by more sensational methods of the militants, nevertheless could not subscribe to their methods 3 women's suffrage bills in 1910, 1911, 1912 Horlton:

What was the Women's Emancipation Union?

The Women's Emancipation Union was a women's campaigning group founded by Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy in September 1891. Its formation was in response to an infamous court case, Regina v Jackson when Edmund Jackson abducted his wife in a bid to enforce his Conjugal Rights.

Introduction

The historical view in the historiography has often been that the actions (imprisonment, force-feeding) of the militant suffragettes were a large part of why they were able to achieve the vote in —- ? However, over the past three decades, a considerable amount of research has challenged this assumption / subject to recent historical reappraisal (Jane Purvis, Alyson Brown) by showing that judgements can be formed not only on the basis/ of the first-hand accounts/ experiences of the Suffragettes (Lady Constance Lytton, Emmeline Pankhurst) but also on the basis of —-. It is now well accepted view that the actions of the militant suffragettes can be thought of as both a form of criminal activity and a form of effective political protest. Whether the evidence leans more to one or the other depends on a multitude of factors: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Division within the movement / From the streets to the courtroom / Prison Experience (memoirs) (1) I will discuss these in turn, and ultimately argue that when viewed within the context of an evaluation of suffragette militancy, the campaigns of disobedience mounted by the suffragettes in prison demonstrated similarities with militant actions outside of prison which refused to accept women's exclusion from established political and civic forms. (2) Militancy (within prison) was based on disruption and inappropriateness rather than violence / criminal activity. (3) Thus, these actions were, to a greater extent, a model for effective political protest.

How does the Oxford English Dictionary define 'Militancy'

The use of confrontational or violent methods in support of a political or social cause

Elizabeth Crawford (2019) Help or Hinder? Debate with Jane Purvis on BBC Radio's 4's Woman's Hour WHAT DID WORK?

WHAT DID WORK? - constructing a new electoral register that proved to be 'the cog in the political machine' that effected change - 1916 Speaker's Conference on how war should change ER - lobbying led by Millicent Fawcett ensured 8.5.m women enfranchised under ROTPA 1918.

What did Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence (WSPU's) former Honorary Treasurer have to say about Emmeline's stance on militancy?

militancy meant casting aside the 'false dignity' earned by submission and extolling 'the true dignity accorded to revolt' My Part in a Changing World 1938