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Votes to women?
MP John Stuart Mill had suggested giving votes to women in 1867 and 1873. After many voted in favour of women's suffrage, large numbers of local women's suffrage societies were formed. -
Equality is campaigned for women in divorce, inheritance and custody of children.
The Women's Franchise League takes up the rights of married women and campaign for equality for women in divorce, inheritance and custody of children. -
Education for the children!
Free and compulsory education is introduced for all working-class children up to the age of twelve.
Legal judgemeny confirms that a man cannot compel his wife to live in the matrimonial home. -
Parish Councils Act
The Parish Councils Act permits propertied women and ratepayers to serve on urban and parish district councils. -
Factory Act
The Factory Act bans the employment of children under eleven in factories. Women are not to be employed within four weeks of having a child. -
Non-militant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) formed by well-educated middle-class women
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Women can do some voting
By 1900 women can vote in local elections and can take part in local government as councillors. Could also vote in elections for Poor Law Guardians and School Boards. -
Popular petition to Parliament
By 1902 the NUWSS campaign had support of working-class women too. 1901-02 Eva Gore-Booth gathered 67,000 textile workers' signatures in Northern England for a petition to Parliament. -
WSPU Founded
Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst founded a new suffrage campaign following the failures of the NUWSS, called the Women's Social and Political Union. The movement was more radical and militant, and were soon refered to as suffragettes. -
Edith New began Suffragette Speeches
The suffragette Edith New began making speeches in Downing Street; to stop the police from moving her on, she chained herself to the railings and was arrested. -
Mrs. Pankhurst, her daughter Christabel and 'General' Flora Drummond sent to prison for inciting a crowd to 'rush' the House of Commons
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The Epsom Derby
As the horses came to finish the derby, Emily Davison rushed out onto the track and tried to catch hold of one of the Royal horse, in an attempt to attach the suffragette flag. The Royal horse crossing the finish line flying the suffragette flag would have been excellent for her. -
Death of Emily Davison
Unfortunately, Emily had miscalculated the speed and power of the horse. She was thrown to the ground and her skull fatally fractured due to a blow from the horses hoof.
In my opinion an incredibly foolish action and certainly not a way to campaign and behave. -
Over 1,500 women serving as Poor Law Guardians
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Suffragette magazine "Votes for Women" had a curculation of around 40,000
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NUWSS had developed into a very large organisation with over 500 branches and around 100,000 members, larger than the WSPU
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Around 20 per cent of all women workers in a union
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Government begin to consider changes to British electoral system
Previously, those abroad were not allowed to vote, which was unfair for soldiers. They wanted to change this, alloqing soldiers to vote, and campaigners jumped at the chance of women getting the votes as they had clearly showed themselves to be capable. -
Women serving in the Armed Forces
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Women finally get the vote
As a result of this Act, all males over the age of 21 gained the right to vote. Women over the age of 30 who were householders or married to a householder also gained the vote - around 9 million women. -
Nancy Astor becomes the first female MP
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Women receive full voting rights
Even though women receive full voting rights 10 years later than the first Act allowing some to vote, the 1918 Act for Millicent Fawcett was the fulfilment of her lifetime's work.
