What is the Suffrage Movement?

The term suffrage simply means 'the right to vote, especially in a political election' (OUP, 2009, p.930) to have suffrage is to have the right to vote. Universal Suffrage is the right to vote for all whereas women's suffrage is exclusively concerned with the voting rights of women. Emancipation means 'to be set free from restrictions' (OUP, 2009, p.299). During the nineteenth century women strived for equality with men. They wanted equal pay, equal property rights, divorce rights and child custody rights to name a few. Female emancipation would be what women would have if all these restrictions were removed, they would become emancipated.

In the nineteenth century women had no place in politics 'they were not directly represented in the legislature because they were not allowed to become MP's or to vote' (Griffin, 2012, p.5). It was widely accepted that fathers and husbands would take responsibility for political matters, they believed they should 'leave the little woman at home while they made all the important business and political decisions' (Hazard, 2010)..

Women were often known as 'the angel of the house' (Phillips, 2003 ,p.17) The phrase Angel in the House is the title of an immensely popular poem by Coventry Patmore, in which he holds his angel wife up as a model for all women. The poem became increasingly popular with an image of a perfect wife expected to be devoted and submissive to her husband. This was not well received with feminists during the nineteenth century, particularly Virginia Woolf's publication Professions for Women where she 'famously kills Coventry Patmore's Angel in the House' (Blair, 2012, p.53).

Coventry Patmore's famous poem can be accessed via the following link:

http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/coventry_patmore_2012_3.pdf

http://www.housmans.com/booklists/Wollstonecraft.php

Women's oppression in society can be dated as far back as Mary Wollstonecraft's famous writing of A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792. Over the years that followed women in several different social classes began to tire of their homely image and society's attitudes towards them and they wanted 'opportunity for self-development' (Crawford, 2003, p.713).

   
As a result of the industrial revolution many working class women were in full time employment 'in certain places, women were the majority of industrial workers' (Goloboy, 2008, p.21).This meant they had opportunities to meet in large organised groups to discuss political and social issues. Middle class women spent their days talking to other middle class women who were somewhat informed of politics largely due to their husbands professions, this is where the movement began.

Small groups of women joined to create societies that would come together to campaign for universal suffrage. The movement began peacefully with the formation of Nation Union of Womens Suffrage Society (NUWSS) they gained support from fellow women, men and political party members. Their slow progression led to frustration and a new, more radical and militant wing was born with the formation of Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903 (Holton, 2003, p.31).

http://historiana.eu/sources/show/for-the-work-of-a-day

These two wings, the suffragists (NUWSS) and the suffragettes (WSPU) made up the suffrage movement (Holton, 2003, p.31).

From these societies that were formed there are key individuals  that went on to create, and take part in some of the most notable events in womens history.




After proving their worth during the absence of men during World War One Women over the age of thirty were granted the vote under The Representation of People Act 1918. (Trueman, 2000) universal suffrage was granted in 1928.


From the initial formation of these societies in the 1850's to the granting of universal suffrage in 1928 there is a vast timeline of events, a biography of key individuals and a history of events that shape our world today, all of this is what is included and known as The Suffrage Movement. 

http://www.nailslikelace.com/2012/03/sister-suffragette.html