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Beginnings
The heart of the movement was originally in London but their failure to come to a working agreement in the early years is due largely to the difficult personality of Helen Taylor, the step-daughter of John Stuart Mill. It was only after John Stuart Mill died and Helen Taylor became active in other fields could Millicent Garrett Fawcett take over the leadership of the movement. -
Unity
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was formed under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett as a merger of the National Central Society for Women's Suffrage and the Central Committee, National Society for Women's Suffrage, the groups having originally split in 1888. -
The Pankhursts
As the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was having little impact with their diplomatic petitions and peaceful protests, Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel established the Women's Social and Political Union which split into militant and non-militant fractions. The Pankhursts thought they had to be more severe to be effective, and this led Millicent Fawcett to distance herself and her group from what the Daily Mail dubbed, "The Suffragettes" -
Emily Davison Joins
In 1906, Emily Davison joined the WSPU. Having left a teaching job in 1908, she devoted all of her time to the group -
Prime Minister Attacked
The Prime Minister in Britain at the time, H. H. Asquith was the subject of increasing violent protests by the Suffragettes. In 1908, the windows of 10 Downing Street were smashed during Suffragette demonstrations, and in 1912, his carriage was attacked by suffragette, Mary Leigh -
1911 Census
On the night of April 2, 1911, Emily Davison hid in a cupboard in the Palace of Westminster overnight so that on the census form she could legitimately give her place of residence that night as the "House of Commons". The 1911 census documents that were uncovered state that Emily Wilding Davison was found 'hiding in the crypt' in the Houses of Parliament. -
Political Pressures
1912 was a turning point for the Suffragettes as H. H. Asquith failed to pass a document awarding women over thirty years of age the vote because he feared a loss of power for his Liberal party. -
The Franchise Bill
The Suffragettes got increasingly violent following January 1913 when the House of Commons failed to pass the Franchise Bill which would have increased women's voting rights -
The 1913 Derby
In the 1913 Epsom Derby, Suffragette Emily Davison stepped in front of the King's horse as a form of protest to disrupt the event. She died from head injuries four days later. -
The Approaching War
As World War I approached in 1914, the Suffragettes focused their attentions on the work of women during wartime. This turned public opinion in favour of their eventual partial enfranchisement in 1918 -
World War I
During the war, women took on more traditionally male roles, and people's attitudes began to change as to what women were capable of doing. Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst's group (WSPU) scaled back their militant protests, calling it a 'ceasefire' for the duration of the war, but Sylvia Pankhurst's Women's Suffrage Federation continued the struggle. -
The Representation of People Act 1918
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, which had always employed "constitutional" methods, continued to lobby during the war years, and compromises were worked out between the NUWSS and the coalition government. On 6 February, the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, enfranchising women over the age of 30 who met minimum property qualifications. Approx. 8.4 million women gained the vote -
The Eligibility of Women Act 1918
In November 1918, the Eligibility of Women Act was passed, allowing women to be elected into Parliament. -
Representation Act 1928
In 1928, The Representation of People Act 1928 extended the rights of women who could then vote at the age of 21. This meant women could vote on the same terms as men in Britain.
