Feminism is a movement, and even today equal rights for all genders are something still fought for. Women facing issues because of their gender is nothing new, but back in the early 1900s, one group of women decided that they had had enough of anti-equality. They were The Suffragettes.
Who were The Suffragettes?
The Suffragettes were a movement. They believed there was injustice and inequality between men and women (specifically for the right to vote), and therefore campaigned for equal rights for women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
They used a variety of different methods to gain attention to fight for female suffrage. They put their all into their fight for equal rights, through different mediums such as arts, debate and silent protests to headline-grabbing stunts such as chaining themselves to railings.
What were The Suffragettes fighting for?
Throughout history there have unfortunately been many restrictions on who can vote in political elections and who can't, many of these include things like age, gender, race, wealth and social status. By 1890, just 58% of the male population of the UK were able to vote.
During the early 19th century, women had started to gain rights such as being able to graduate from university but still weren't able to vote. However, without the vote, there was little regard for women's issues as MPs only seemed to care about the issues that affected the men who were able to vote for them.
Strangely, this way of thinking wasn't just confined to the men of parliament. The reigning monarch at the time Queen Victoria called the fight a "mad wicked folly." Although she ruled the nation as her duty, she believed that "women were not made for governing" and was against everything the suffragette movement stood for.
What were the two types of suffragettes?
The first was a group of women called The Suffragists. They began campaigning long before The Suffragettes and believed in peaceful and constitutional methods of earning the right to vote. In 1897 a group of campaigners formed the NUWSS (National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies). It quickly became the biggest suffrage organisation in the country with over 50,000 members, most of which were middle-class women.
The Suffragists' president was a woman called Millicent Garrett Fawcett. She believed that change would only occur through peaceful methods and success would come from argument and education. Fawcett's accomplishments include establishing Newnham College in 1875 to help broaden women's chances of higher education, fronting the NUWSS for 22 years and being appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE).
The Suffragettes were formed after years of no progress from The Suffragists. In Moss Side, Manchester in 1903, a local woman called Emmeline Pankhurst founded the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union) alongside her daughters Christabel and Sylvia. They began to advocate a more militant and direct approach in their fight against the government.
Did the suffragette movement start in Manchester?
Although it should be noted that members of the Women's Social and Political Union which was formed in Manchester were known as Suffragettes, the fight for women's suffrage had been established before its formation in 1903.
However, campaigns for women's rights were seen as far back as 1866, and there are pamphlets and papers in Manchester library that document this.
What led to the formation of WSPU in England?
The WSPU was formed out of frustration from the lack of progress from The Suffragists' tactics. Emmeline formed the WSPU as she believed it was important to take a more militant view - otherwise the politicians simply would not listen.
The group quickly developed a very large following. At one point 60,000 people were participating in a protest organised by Pankhurst at the House of Commons. Based on these numbers, it's clear that thousands of people also felt the same frustrations that action was required to get results.
Who was Emmeline Pankhurst?
Emmeline Pankhurst, from Moss Side in Manchester, is one of the most influential and important figures in modern British History. She founded the Women's Social and Political Union and was the leader of The Suffragettes. She was born into a politically active family in 1858 and she was only 14 when she was first introduced to the women's suffrage movement!
What was the motto of the WSPU?
As the peaceful protests of The Suffragists were failing to make any impact, Emmeline Pankhurst decided that actions speak louder than words. This led her to adopt the motto "deeds not words" in 1903 as part of the formation of the WSPU. By this time The Suffragists had spent over 50 years peacefully campaigning for rights - without ever getting anything meaningful changed. This prompted Emmeline to call for "deeds" to be carried out. These deeds included things such as arson, stone-throwing and window-breaking. She wanted to make as much noise as possible for a cause she cared passionately about, as did thousands of other women.
Which locations in Manchester are important in the history of The Suffragettes?
Manchester is known as Suffragette City due to its part in the foundation years of the women's suffrage movement. Unsurprisingly, there are loads of suffragette-related things to see around Manchester, and all are within walking distance of each other! If you love all things Pankhurst, why not plan a wander around these spots to get an idea of where the action happened…
The Pankhurst Centre / Emmeline Pankhurst's home
Following the unexpected death of her husband Richard, Emmeline Pankhurst moved to a house just off Manchester's busy Oxford Road, now incongruously surrounded by hospital buildings. It was here that Pankhurst held the first meeting of the WSPU and the parlour in the house has been set up to replicate what it may have looked like on that day. Now a small museum run by a team of volunteers, this is a great starting point for a suffragette history of Manchester tour. Make sure you walk around the garden created to commemorate the hard work of the suffragette movement, which was funded by a crowdfunding campaign.
The Pankhurst Centre is also the headquarters of Manchester Women's Aid, a charity that "provides specialist support services for those suffering, or at risk of domestic abuse." They offer help to women through a variety of options, including finding refuge and health services for women.
The Manchester Art Gallery
One of the most well-known public disruptions by The Suffragettes was the 1913 attack on Manchester Art Gallery. After Emmeline Pankhurst was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in the bombing of the chancellor David Lloyd George's summer home, many of the other activists were furious. Two days after the sentencing, three suffragettes, Lillian Forrester, Evelyn Manesta and Annie Briggs ran around the gallery smashing the glass of some of the most valuable paintings. They damaged a total of 13 paintings.
The Free Trade Hall
Free Trade Hall (now a Radisson Blu Hotel) was a public assembly hall at the time of its construction in the late 1800s. It's considered the place where Emmeline Pankhurst and several other women from the local labour party formed the WSPU. On the 13th October 1905, Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kennedy caused disruption at a liberal party election meeting at The Free Trade Hall by hanging their Votes For Women banner over the balcony. They were arrested shortly after and sent to prison. This was just the beginning of the 9 years of militant action by the WSPU to gain the right to vote.
Alexandra Park
Emmeline Pankhurst was born just yards away from Alexandra Park in Moss-Side. On the 24th of October 1908, thousands of Suffragettes marched to the park as part of a rally they called the "Great Demonstration". The park was also victim to one of the WSPU's greater acts of violence when in 1913, suffragette Kitty Marion planted a bomb in the park that damaged the cactus house.
Stevenson Square
Now a place full of bustling bars and restaurants, 100 years ago Stevenson Square was actually a popular meeting place for protestors to start their marches. Many of the WSPU meetings were also held here.
To this day, there is a street art mural just off Stevenson Square that honours The Suffragettes. It can be found on Little Lever Street. There are more Emmeline Pankhurst murals around the city too, including one at Afflecks (home of The Manchester Shop) created by mosaic artist Mark Kennedy.
What was The Suffragette's flag?
The Suffragettes introduced their iconic green, purple and white flag in June 1908. They believed it was important for the women of the movement to be easily recognisable. It was also intended to create visual unity.
Why did The Suffragettes use purple, green and white?
For the WSPU's biggest demonstration in London in 1908, the organisers wanted to make the event as memorable as possible, they wanted it to be a visual spectacle. As the protestors were all different women from different backgrounds from all over the country, many of them couldn't afford to buy new clothes or banners. So, the WSPU asked them to wear all white if they could, and only wear purple and green accessories.
Purple stood for loyalty and dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
The use of bright colours was important as the WSPU wanted to create a visual impact and was a great advertisement for the cause.
What is the Manchester suffragette banner?
The iconic WSPU banner is a vibrant purple large banner, with the striking text "First in the Fight, Founded by Mrs Pankhurst, 1903." It was first unveiled by two suffragettes, Mary Gawthrope and Rona Robinson on Stevenson Square in 1908.
The words "First in the Fight" at the top of the banner reflects how Manchester had a pivotal role in the WSPU campaign. Taking this banner to protests all over the country would show a clear sign that Manchester was the true home of action for women's suffrage.
Who made the Manchester suffragette banner?
The Manchester suffragette banner was made by a well-known maker of church banners, Thomas Brown and Sons. Although the banner has no religious connotations whatsoever, looking closely at the details, you can see the similarities between it and the decorations seen in churches.
When was the Manchester suffragette banner used?
The banner was first put on display at a rally in Hyde Park, London in 1908. This was the biggest demonstration of the WSPU so far and was where Emmeline spoke directly to over 50,000 people!
What happened to the Manchester suffragette banner?
Suffragette Elizabeth Ellen Chatterton from Salford looked after the banner. Following a house clearance in 2003, the banner unfortunately went missing from the home it was kept in, before luckily being found tucked away in the storage of a Leeds charity shop 10 years later.
Replicas of the banner can be found on display within the People's History Museum in Manchester. The original isn't permanently on display in order to preserve it due to the purple colour of the flag being so important within the history of the suffragettes.
Unknown author, CC-PD-Mark, via Wikimedia Commons
What strategies did The Suffragettes use?
The Suffragettes took their motto "deeds not words" very literally. All kinds of action were taken to make their cause known, from the more subtle approach of heckling politicians to the more extreme act of Emily Davison at the 1913 Derby. Ms Davison stepped out in front of King George V's horse Anmer during the race and tragically lost her life in the process.
Why did suffragettes starve themselves?
The first hunger strike taken out by a suffragette in prison was by Marion Wallace Dunlop in 1909. Locked up for damaging the stonework of the House of Commons, Dunlop was protesting the classification of her one-month sentence as a "second division" criminal prisoner and not a "first division" political prisoner. Dunlop was released 91 hours into her fast for fear that she might die.
Other imprisoned suffragettes learnt that once they started to become unwell they would be released from prison. The women started to be force-fed by prison staff. Emily Davison was force-fed 49 times during her 9 separate prison sentences.
This led to the government passing the so-called "Cat & Mouse Act" in 1913. It allowed hunger striking Suffragettes to be released from prison when weak, then taken back into prison to serve the remainder of their sentence when their health improved or they re-appeared in public.
Looking at portraits of suffragettes from the turn of the 20th century, you might see military-style medals pinned to their chests. These were awarded by the WSPU for their hunger strikes while imprisoned. The medals feature a ribbon in the iconic purple, green and white flag colours, with engraved metal charms detailing the lengths of their hunger strikes.
Why did The Suffragettes become violent?
The WSPU was born out of frustration with the democratic and non-militant actions of Milicent Fawcett's NUWSS. The Suffragists were participating in non-violent protests and using legal means to fight for their cause. The Suffragettes believed this to be a hindrance to the movement and that action needed to be taken for the voice of women's rights to be heard.
The violent acts of the WSPU were seen as terrorism, with Pankhurst herself stating that suffragettes wanted to "terrorise the British public." The Suffragette bombing and arson campaign targeted a selection of the country's infrastructure, government buildings, churches and the general public over a period of 2 years, resulting in 5 deaths and 24 injuries. It peaked in 1913 in response to the imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst for her role in the bombing of Lloyd George's house. Lots of bombs were detonated on public transport links and carriages, including a bomb that was found in Smeaton's Tower in Plymouth with "Votes For Women. Death in Ten Minutes" written on it.
What crimes did The Suffragettes commit?
As well as carrying out a nationwide bombing and arson campaign, suffragettes were known to heckle politicians, try to storm parliament, chain themselves to railings and smash windows. They faced anger and ridicule in the media.
The aforementioned Emily Davison was well known in the organisation for her criminal action; her tactics included breaking windows, throwing stones, setting fire to postboxes, planting bombs and, on three occasions, hiding overnight in the Palace of Westminster - including on the night of the 1911 census.
What was Black Friday?
Today, the term Black Friday is associated with shoppers trying to get good deals for Christmas. In early 1900, it stood for something very different.
On the 18th of November 1910, 300 suffragettes were protesting in central London when they experienced brutal physical assault from both police and members of the public.
This originated earlier on in 1910 when the Prime Minister of the time, H.H Asquith, stated that if he was re-elected as prime minister in the general election, he would introduce a Conciliation Bill. This bill would result in over one million eligible women being given the right to vote. The eligibility of this bill was for women who owned property themselves and had a certain amount of wealth to their name.
When he was re-elected, he proposed the bill to a hung parliament. It passed its second and first readings but the divisiveness of the (all male) cabinet led to Asquith eventually determining that the bill wasn't worth any more of Parliaments' time.
Therefore on the 18th of November, 1910, Emmeline Pankhurst led 300 of her suffragettes to Westminster to protest. As they began to approach Parliament Square, members of the public began subjecting them to verbal and sexual abuse. Once police arrived on the scene, the women were then met with insults and violence when they attempted to enter parliament. Some of the injuries inflicted were black eyes, bloody noses, sprains and bruised bodies. Over 100 of the suffragettes were arrested by the police but later all charges were dropped against them.
Why did the Government finally give women the vote?
During the First World War, most men were sent to fight. This had a huge impact on the fight for equal rights. It meant that now women were relied on to be essential within everyday industries such as factories, offices and land. The fact these women were so successful within jobs they weren't usually meant to have at the time proved to many MPs that they can in fact do the same jobs as men.
This meant that by 1918, thanks to the Representation of the People Act, women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote. It was a huge breakthrough and a step in the right direction. But seeing as all men over 21 could vote, the WSPU still had a lot of work to do to fulfil their aim of women having the same rights as men. Campaigning continued until 1928 when the Equal Franchise Act meant that all women could finally vote.
What is Womanchester?
In 2018 as part of the #RadicalManchester campaign, Manchester was rebranded as Womanchester to mark International Women's Day to remind and recognise the crucial role Manchester had in the fight for Women's Suffrage.
A project was also started called the "Womanchester Statue Project" which aimed to celebrate the role women have played in the development of the city. At the time the project began, only one of the 17 statues in the city centre was of a woman. At the end of 2018, exactly 100 years since the first women had voted in a General Election, a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst was unveiled on St Peter's Square.
Delusion23 , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
You can pick up some awesome Womanchester gifts here. We also donate 15% of sales from The Pankhurst Range sold in our shop and online to The Pankhurst Trust.
Where can you learn more about The Suffragette movement in Manchester?
There are plenty of places you can learn about The Suffragette movement in Manchester. The most popular place would be The Pankhurst Centre located in the house where Emmeline and her family lived and the place it all began. It's a museum which tells the story of their fight.
You can also visit the People's History Museum. They have a Pankhurst "Herstory" Exhibition which documents the events that took place in the 1970s to help save The Pankhurst Centre.
For more information about Manchester, please have a read of our article "What Is Manchester Famous For?".
The Manchester Shop has a collection of women's suffrage and Emmeline Pankhurst themed gifts and accessories in our Womanchester range which donates 15% of sales directly to the Pankhurst Trust.