The Suffragete Movement :: Papers

The Suffragete Movement In Britain only two thirds of the male population were allowed to vote, these did not include, men who did not own property or correct at least 10 per year in rent, servants who lived with their employers, criminals and lunatics. Women could not vote at all. In 1906 The Suffragete Movement was used to describe women campaigning for the right to vote, Emmiline Pankhurst was peerless of the first leaders of the Suffragete movement. The fight for the right for women to vote was a violent revolution for the rights of all men and all women to be treated equally this was guide by Emmiline Pankhurst and her fellow Suffragettes. On 19th May 1905, 10 women went to speak to the Prime Minister. One of those women was Emily Davies, who was 76 years old. It was Emily who handed the first womens vote petition to the Prime Minister. In return all they received was some advice about being patient. This was not the result they wanted. They w anted to be interpreted seriously. In 1906, Christobel Pankhurst and her colleague attended a meeting held by Sir Edward Grey, a leading Liberal. There they assaulted a policeman, were arrested and sentenced to seven days in jail or pay a fine They could have paid the fine and gone home. Annie Kenney refused to pay the fine, as far as she and the movement was concerned it was prison or votes for women. As time went by there were more arrests and imprisonment for members of the Suffragettes. They shouted down Ministers, protested in parliament and on the streets, but women were still refused the right to vote. In 1908, Miss Nell chained herself to the railings outside the Prime Ministers front door. She did this for lots of reasons the Cabinet was in session so they would hear her speech, and so would the push outside. Furthermore it would take the police a long time to unchain her. Nurse Oliva Smith who followed her example and chained herself to