thumb|280px|A British suffragette (c. 1910)Suffragette is a term originally coined by the
Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for the more
radical and
militant members of the late-19th and early-20th century movement for
women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the
Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). However, after former and then active members of the movement began to
reclaim the word, the term became a label without negative connotations. It derives from the word "
suffrage", meaning the right to
vote.
Suffragist is a more general term for members of suffrage movements, whether radical or conservative, male or female.
American campaigners preferred this more inclusive title, while those Americans hostile to women's suffrage used "suffragette" as a
pejorative, emphasizing its feminine "-ette" ending. In Britain, "suffragist" is generally used solely to identify members of the
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).
Origins of women's suffrage movements
The suffrage movement was mainly women from middle class backgrounds. These women were frustrated by their social and economic situation and sought for an outlet through which to initiate change. Their struggles for change within society, along with the work of such advocates for
women’s rights as
John Stuart Mill, were enough to spearhead a movement that would encompass mass groups of women fighting for suffrage. Mill had first brought the idea of women’s suffrage up in the platform he presented to British electors in 1865. He would later be joined by numerous men and women fighting for the same cause.
A few historians feel that some of the suffragettes' actions actually damaged their cause. The argument was that the suffragettes should not get the vote because they were too emotional and could not think as logically as men; their violent and aggressive actions were used as evidence in support of this argument.
New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the vote. In 1893, all women over the age of 21 were permitted to vote in parliamentary elections.
Early 20th-century suffrage movements
Suffragettes carried out
direct action such as chaining themselves to railings, setting fire to mailbox contents, smashing windows and on occasions setting off bombs. One suffragette,
Emily Davison, died after she stepped out in front of
the King's horse, Anmer, at the
Epsom Derby of 1913. Many of her fellow suffragettes were imprisoned and went on
hunger strikes, during which they were restrained and
forcibly fed and had reached the height of their campaign by 1912.
The so-called
Cat and Mouse Act of 1913 was passed by the
British government to prevent suffragettes from obtaining public sympathy; it provided the release of those whose hunger strikes had brought them sickness, as well as their re-imprisonment once they had recovered.
Nevertheless, protests continued on both sides of the Atlantic.
Alice Paul and
Lucy Burns led a series of protests against the
Wilson Administration in Washington that referred to "Kaiser Wilson" and compared the plight of the German people with that of American women.
During
World War I, a serious shortage of able-bodied men ("manpower") occurred, and women were required to take on many of the traditional male roles. This led to a new view of what a woman was capable of doing. The war also caused a split in the British suffragette movement, with the mainstream, represented by
Emmeline and
Christabel Pankhurst's
Women's Social and Political Union, calling a 'ceasefire' in their campaign for the duration of the war, while more
radical suffragettes, represented by
Sylvia Pankhurst's
Women's Suffrage Federation continued the struggle.
Political movement towards women's suffrage began during the war and in 1918, the
Parliament of the United Kingdom passed an act (the
Representation of the People Act 1918) granting the vote to: women over the age of 30 who were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of property with an annual rent of £5, and graduates of
British universities. The right to vote of American women was codified in the
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Finally, women in the United Kingdom achieved suffrage on the same terms as men in 1928.
Colors
From 1908 the WSPU adopted the colour scheme of purple, white and green. Purple symbolised dignity; White for purity; and Green for hope.
These three colours were used for banners, flags, rosettes and badges; as well as appearing in newspaper cartoons and postcards.
Mappin & Webb, the London jewellers, issued a catalogue of suffragette jewellery for Christmas 1908.
In 1909, the WSPU presented specially commissioned pieces of jewellery to leading suffragettes Emmeline Pankhurst and Louise Eates. Some Arts and Crafts jewellery of the period incorporated the colours purple, white and green using enamel and semi-precious stones such as
amethysts,
pearls, and
peridots; however it is rather a moot point whether all such jewellery is connected with the suffragettes, as these stones were already quite common in women's jewellery during the late 19th century, before the WSPU adopted the colours.
It is a popular myth that the colours were green, white and violet, in order to spell GWV as an acronym for 'Give Women Votes'.
Notable suffragettes
United Kingdom
Australia
USA
New Zealand
Gallery
See also
