Page 33 - 100 Events That Made History

Women get

the vote

Women in Britain wage war for

the same RIGHT TO VOTE as men

Feminist mission
In 1893, women in New Zealand became the first in the world
to be allowed to vote. The idea spread, but in the early 1900s,
British women still did not have SUFFRAGE (the right
to vote) because they were not deemed equal to
men. British campaigner Emmeline Pankhurst
(above) established the Women’s Social and
Political Union (WSPU) in 1903. When a
newspaper jokingly named them “suffragettes,” the
name stuck and the suffragette sisterhood was born.

How it changed

Equal voting rights
allowed women to help
shape society. Women are
still fighting for equality
the world
in other fields today.
The horse was owned by British King
George V. It’s possible Davison was
trying to attach a WSPU scarf to it.
Death at the races Voting victory
The suffragette motto was “Deeds, Years of campaigning by
not words,” and women smashed fearless suffragettes finally paid
windows, set fire to buildings, and off. British women were given the
chained themselves to railings to right to vote in 1918. American
bring attention to the cause. In 1913, women voted by 1920, and many
British suffragette Emily Davison died other countries soon followed.
after throwing herself under a horse Nowadays, ALL BUT A FEW
at the Epsom Derby horse race. It countries allow women to vote.
wasn’t clear whether she intended to
die or just to cause a scene, but it
brought FURTHER NOTICE to the A British woman votes
WSPU’s mission. for the first time in the
1918 general election.
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