Why Did Some Women Get the Vote in 1918 - 2224 Words

This essay shall attempt to explain why some women got the vote in 1918 by discussing male and female spheres, the emergence of the suffrage societies and the similarities and differences between them. It shall proceed to discuss anti-suffrage, the role of politics, discuss how the war affected the women’s movement and finally the 1918 Representation of the People Act. It shall conclude was a summary of the points discussed. To understand the reasons behind some women getting the vote in 1918, one must look back at the history of the women’s movement to fully understand the reason female suffrage was sought and gained. In Victorian Britain there was a longstanding and persistent belief that men and women occupied separate spheres. The†¦show more content†¦Consequently the militant campaign escalated in 1912 with attacks on government and commercial buildings and commonly took the form of window smashing. Other militant tactics involved setting fire to letters boxes, defacing buildings, burning golf greens with acid and firebombing the newly built country house of then Prime Minister Lloyd George. Suffragettes arrested for criminal damage refused to pay fines and were then put in prison. As a protest against being denied the rights of political prisoners, they went on hunger strike. The government authorised force-feeding, which met with resistance not only from the prisoners themselves but also from the movement at large. By 1913 the Liberal government introduced the Prisoners Temporary Discharge Act, which was also known as the ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act, which meant that once the prisoner’s health had deteriorated past a certain point, they could be temporarily released to regain their health and then rearrested again. The catch was that they were soon rearrested if they did not return to the prison voluntarily so that the cycle of hunger-strike and force-feeding could be continued. Despite the new technique failing to change government policy, it contributed to suffragette propaganda. The purpose of suffrage propaganda was to build up an irresistible pressure of public opinion and at the same time convert MPS toShow MoreRelatedHigher History Women1700 Words   |  7 PagesSociety towards women was the major reason why some women received the vote in 1918. How accurate is this view? During the 1900s, many women were beginning to stand up for themselves and no longer wanted to be inferior to men. Prior to 1918, women were disrespected and under - valued in society. There was a change in attitudes towards women as the image of the New Women began to arise. They were becoming involved in various different jobs, having the ability to be better educated and get involved inRead MoreEssay about Why Women Gained the Vote in 19181224 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Women Gained the Vote in 1918 In 1918, women had finally gained the right to vote, after 68 long and hard years of campaigning and rebelling they finally got the vote they wanted. The women had tried everything like campaigning, getting them selves arrested, using the media and many more things were done. However, there were a couple of things that they did which really helped them get the right to vote and they were the fact that they helped the men in World WarRead MoreThe Major Reasons for Women Receiving the Right to Vote 1099 Words   |  4 PagesThe major reasons for women receiving in 1918 the vote in my opinion were divided into sections, political view, male view, war effort and changes in law and legislation. Whilst some historians argue that the women’s work during WWI in factories and other work programmes radically changed male ideas about their role in society other traditional historians suggest that the government passing the legislation to give women the vote in 1918 was almost a reward for their efforts I believe that this explanationRead MoreWhy Women Should Be Remembered For World War I1384 Words   |  6 Pages ‘Why should women of World War 1 be remembered?’ Good evening ladies and gentlemen, today I will be talking about why women should be remembered for their role in World War 1 and not just the troops who fought during the war. So why women should be remembered for World War 1? I believe women should be remembered for World War 1 because for women around 1917 were paid a really low wage of around 3-6 shillings a week for really long hours. The women took on the hard work that the men did beforeRead MoreWar on the home front1000 Words   |  4 Pageseconomically. The Wartime Elections Act proposed by Robert Borden weakened Canada politically as a country. This act that was passed in 1917 took the vote away from citizens who had emigrated from enemy countries. In addition, the act only gave army nurses and close relatives of soldiers the right to vote. In 1918, women living in Canada were given the right to vote, but they could still not be elected to Parliament. During the later part of the war, conscription was introduced which was not a good sign forRead MoreWomens Contribution to the War Effort and Their Gain in Voting Rights491 Words   |  2 PagesRights Women over 30 gained the vote in 1918. There were a number of reasons for this but mainly because of womens contribution to the war effort. I will be looking at these different reasons and writing about how everything came together for the vote for women. I will start by looking at what the women did in the war. Women were pleased by the outbreak of the war because this meant they could prove themselves and even get suffrage at the end of it all. Women thoughtRead MoreEssay about The Campaign for Women’s Suffrage1614 Words   |  7 Pagesrights of women began to improve. Though women were still thought of as second-class citizens, during the 1870’s the women’s suffrage became a mass movement. Prior to 1870, there were laws that meant that women were unable to keep any of their earnings once they married. That also meant that all her possessions belonged to her husband as well. In 1870, the Married Women’s Property Act meant that women were allowed to keep  £200 of their earnings. Women such as CarolineRead MoreTechniques of Suffragists and Suffragettes941 Words   |  4 Pagessuffragettes were different. Women started campaigning to win the vote in the 1850s. 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 wereRead MoreCampaigns for Women Suffrage and their Effectiveness Essay783 Words   |  4 PagesCampaigns for Women Suffrage and their Effectiveness Throughout the nineteenth century, the suffragists and the suffragettes worked hard campaigning for women suffrage. Finally, in 1918, the vote was given to women, but only women over thirty. But suffrage campaigns, although important, were not the only reason that the franchise was granted. Some other reasons include, a fear of the return of suffragette activity, the government following an international trend, theRead MoreEssay about The Changing Role and Status of Women in Britain Since 19001679 Words   |  7 PagesThe Changing Role and Status of Women in Britain Since 1900 1. Before 1900, women had generally stayed in the home. From the Middle Ages to 17th Century, they had been involved in cottage industries like making gloves. Early in the industrialisation period, women were sent down coalmines, because they cost less, but later on when rules and regulations were set over hours and safety, women were pushed back into the home because men could work harder for longer hours