Until the mid-nineteenth century, the campaign for the vote was mainly a local issue. It was then that suffragists, law abiding advocates for change also known as constitutionalists, organized campaigns for women's suffrage.
The NUWSS
In 1897, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was formed. Lead by Millicent Fawcett, it used non-violent demonstrations, petitions and the lobbying of MPs (Members of Parliament) to gain support.
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Suffragists campaign peacefully, BBC |
"We have not yet arrived at an equal moral standard for men and women, but we have travelled a long way on the road leading to it."
– Millicent Fawcett, Women's Suffrage
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Fourteen Reasons for Supporting Women's Suffrage, c. 1897, British Library |
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NUWSS Leaflet, 1913, British Library |
A Shift to Militancy
Suffragist methods gained support in Parliament, but never enough to pass legislation. Frustrated with the lack of progress, some resolved to take more radical action. The Daily Mail mockingly coined the term "suffragette" to describe this new group led by Pankhurst. They proudly accepted the title.
"We threw away all our conventional notions of what was 'ladylike' and 'good form', and we applied to our methods the one test question: will it help?"
– Emmeline Pankhurst, My Own Story