Page 84 - All About History - Issue 12-14

The militant battle for women’s rights

the Women’s Franchise League in 1889. She and her husband Kenney were both ejected from the meeting by an outraged
Richard campaigned with the Independent Labour Party and crowd and were arrested for assaulting police officers. They What was
After Richard’s death in 1898 from stomach ulcers, Emmeline admitted the charge, explained their cause and refused to
pay their fine. They were promptly sent to prison and the
threw herself completely into the cause. refusal to take any option other than imprisonment became the wspu?
Emmeline Pankhurst was less concerned with hearts and
minds than with grabbing the British people’s attention by a feature of successive suffragette trials. They demanded the — G[X Jb`Ta·f FbV\T_ TaW
any means necessary. At first, she wanted to work with the same rights as political prisoners, specifically to be housed in Cb_\g\VT_ Ha\ba jTf YbhaWXW
Independent Labour Party (ILP), but it became clear the party the first division cells, but were refused. Tg g[X CTa^[hefg [b`X ba $#
was not willing to take the risks needed. This setback Nationwide activities were organised from the BVgbUXe $,#&!
only made her more determined than ever, WSPU’s headquarters in London, all aimed at — <g jTf YbhaWXW gb VT`cT\Za Ybe
ibgXf Ybe jb`Xa!
though, and on 10 October 1903 she created creating a very public spectacle. In 1906, ten — G[X\e `bggb jTf ´7XXWf abg

the Women’s Social and Political Union women were arrested after attempting jbeWf!µ
(WSPU). Their motto was “Deeds not to enter the Houses of Parliament. — G[Xl \a\g\T__l ge\XW gb jbe^
words.” Time would prove just how When the WSPU members were j\g[\a g[X cb_\g\VT_ flfgX`!
much to heart they took this motto. released from prison, Millicent — 9eb` $,#( g[Xl fXg bhg gb
f[bV^ j\g[ chU_\V W\fc_Tlf!
Garrett Fawcett held a banquet in
First militant step their honour at the Savoy Hotel. — G[X\e ba_l VbaVXea jTf
fhYYeTZX TaW abg T UebTWXe
On 2 February 1904, Christabel At this time, much of the WSPU VT`cT\Za Ybe e\Z[gf _XTW\aZ gb
Pankhurst entered the Free Trade and NUWSS’ efforts were spent on fc_\gf \a g[X Zebhc!
Hall in Manchester where Liberal MP demonstrating the sheer number of
Winston Churchill was due to speak. people who felt passionately about
When she asked for an amendment on the issue.
women’s suffrage, she was dismissed. When signed petitions had proved
Pankhurst wrote that she considered this British suffragettes became to accomplish little, marches and parades
increasingly visible in the
“The first militant step – the hardest to me, years leading up to WWI were organised, including the NUWSS’ ‘Mud
because it was the first.” Churchill would be March’ in February 1907, in which over 3,000
persistently targeted by the suffragettes, who women walked from Hyde Park to Exeter Hall.
went so far as to write a manifesto opposing him. The man The government’s response was to get these women off
who would lead Europe to victory in WWII would prove to be the streets and out of sight as quickly as possible, often
a consistent thorn in their side. with force. The brutal tactics used in response to peaceful
Christabel Pankhurst would be as vital and fierce a part of demonstrations would stoke the fires of resentment.
the suffragette movement as her mother. She took her first Although Fawcett admired their zeal, Emmeline and
militant step by attending another Free Trade Hall meeting Christabel Pankhurst’s unwavering belief in their own
in 1905, this time with her devoted fellow suffragette, the decisions meant that the WSPU was drifting further apart
deceptively diminutive Annie Kenney. Pankhurst and from the NUWSS. By 1907, she and Christabel announced

Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney
with their famous campaign poster

Demonstrations by British suffragettes regularly drew huge crowds

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