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Period: to
The main events 1906 - 1914
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Liberal landslide victory
The Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, supports votes for women but ministers are divided. -
The differences begin to show
NUWSS continues their campaign of petitions and meetings. WSPU members protest in the House of Commons. They are arrested and sent to prison. WSPU starts a campaign of noisily opposing MPs at by-elections. -
The 'Mud March'
The NUWSS organises a procession in London. Over 3,000 women march. It gets the name 'Mud March' because of the bad weather. -
Asquith becomes PM
Herbert Asquith becomes Prime Minister. He is against votes for women but tells the women to prove there is popular support for the idea. -
Processions in London
The suffragettes and the suffragists organise massive processions in London with supporters coming from all over the country. Between 300,000 and 500,000 activists are supposed to have gathered in Hyde Park. However, Asquith does nothing and in frustration suffragettes start smashing windows in Downing Street and later chain themselves to railings. Both NUWSS and WSPU are growing in numbers. -
The split
The split between the WSPU and the NUWSS starts as the suffragists begin to get worried that the suffragettes' activities are making the government hostile towards the idea of Votes for Women. -
Hunger strikes
More WSPU members sent to prison. They demand to be treated as political prisoners and go on hunger strike. The government does not want dead women on its hands and starts force-feeding them. -
Black Friday
Asquith agrees to work with the NUWSS and the WSPU so the WSPU call off their violent protests. The Conciliation Bill giving women the vote does well in the House of Commons at first but then Asquith stalls and delays. The WSPU protests and this turns into 'Black Friday', a fight with the police resulting in many women being physically and sexually abused. -
Conciliation Bill (part 2)
The WSPU again call a truce in the hope that the Conciliation Bill introduced to Parliament in February will become law. On 7th November though Asquith changes his mind, drops the bill and says he wants to give to votes to all the men. The WSPU is furious and re-starts its campaign of violence. -
SMASH!!!!
Throughout 1912 the WSPU carry out a massive campaign of window smashing. The WSPU HQ is raided and some leaders are arrested. Christabel Pankhurst flees to Paris. Mass hunger strikes in prisons across the country for political status. The authorities respond with force feeding. -
Violence increases
Buildings are bombed and burnt down, letters in letter boxes destroyed, turf at race courses burned. The government introduces the 'Cat and Mouse Act' - women were allowed to go on hunger strike in prison, released when they became ill and then they were rearrested when they recovered. -
Watch out for that horse
Emily Davison is killed by the Kings horse at the Derby. Whether she wanted to die or not the WSPU make her funeral a massive propaganda event. Many of the crowd ran to see if the horse was okay. -
The Women's Pilgrimage
Members from the NUWSS make their way from all over the country to London on a journey (a pilgrimage) to march in London for the vote. They raised thousands of pounds on the way (although some of them were called things such as 'brazen hussy' as well) and when 50,000 arrived in Hyde Park on 26th July even the Times gave it a favourable report. -
War!!
In 1914 the violence of the WSPU increased. Public opinion was now firmly against the suffragettes. Women were banned from art galleries and museums. When the First World War broke out the WSPU ceased all activities and supported the war effort. The government released all WSPU prisoners. The NUWSS also supported the war effort but continued to keep the pressure on Parliament about the vote by holding meetings and getting petitions signed.
