Women's Suffrage Dbq

When looking at the events of the First World War at home and on the frontlines, one can see the increasing power of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. There were many petitions and attempts at policy change from 1832 that were catching the attention of the public, however the First World War allowed for women to show their capability, which ultimately led to women gaining the right to vote. Some historians would say that the war had a negative effect on unions, however these impacts were negligible when compared to the positive ones. Therefore, it can be said that the Women’s Suffrage Movement was already well on its way before World War I, however the war did push the Movement forward.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement was already well on its way

before the start of World War I. During 1832, when the Suffrage Movement was first gaining momentum, William Johnston Fox, a Member of Parliament of Oldham presented a petition to Parliament stating that “every unmarried female possessing the necessary pecuniary qualification should be entitled to vote for Members of Parliament.” This shows that before the war there were men interested in women gaining the right to vote and bringing it up in Parliament to try to enact change.

Fast forward to 1866, Elizabeth Garrett and Emily Davies started the Ladies Petition, eventually compiling 1499 signatures. This petition stated that “all householders, without distinction of sex, who posses such property or rental qualification as your Honourable House may determine” be given the right to vote and marked the beginning of formal, organized campaigning for women gaining the right to vote. This petition was given to a Member of Parliament, John Stuart Mill, who promised to sway the House of Commons and pass the petition. John Stuart Mill was a philosopher and politician who believed that individual freedom and decision making were key, and that an individual should act in any way they choose as long as they do not harm others. These views fit in with the Suffrage Movement and show that there were people before the war that were changing, thinking, and advocating this to the public. The following year, Mill initiated the first debate to change the word ‘man’ to ‘person’ in the Second Reform Bill. While this was

not enacted, it encouraged Mill to fight even harder for the rights of women. This is notable as Mill was a politician, so to have someone influential on the side of the Suffrage Movement made it much easier for the movement to gain traction and begin to change policies and the mindset of the public.

Taking a step back from the sway of government, we must also look at the education of women. To prove that women were as capable as men, they needed to have the same level of education. Seeing as women were told their place in society was in the kitchen or at home cleaning, their education was often ignored. Therefore during 1850, schools dedicated to the education of women started to appear. The North London Collegiate School and the Cheltenham College were started with the hopes of educating the women of Great Britain. These schools were filled with women who were already teachers and had the enthusiasm of learning instilled in their hearts. “The terrible sufferings of the women of my own class for want of a good elementary training have more than ever intensified my earnest desire to lighten, ever so little, the misery of women brought up ‘to be married and taken care of’”. The dedication of women across Great Britain to gain an education and show that they were as capable as men goes to show how important this movement truly was. Already before World War I,

women were steadfast to their idea that they needed the right to vote and were not only trying to obtain this, but were determined to show that they deserved it. The last major change before the war was in December 1894 when the Local Government Act was passed, allowing married and single women to vote for county and borough councils. This was important, as it was a major step towards all women having the right to vote in all elections, and was not a result of any war, but rather of the determination of the women and the changing mindsets of the public and policymakers. All of these changes and impacts show that the Women’s Suffrage Movement was already well on its way before World War I.
The First World War had a large effect on pushing forward the Women’s Suffrage Movement. With a majority of men away fighting in the war, there was a multitude of vacant jobs for women to fill, giving women more power in the workforce. Additionally, jobs to aid in the war effort were created that needed to be filled by women, such as secretarial positions, nursing positions and jobs in the kitchen. Nurses had risky jobs because they were frequently on the frontline of battle, giving women more credibility for their competency. Many women in Great Britain decided to prove themselves worthy of citizenship and more than capable of taking on leadership roles, and these job allowed them to do so. With men away, women became integral to running society at home, which made it hard for governments to deny that women had the necessary skills and intelligence needed to vote and have an equal standing to men.
Some historians might argue that the First World War had a negative effect on the Women’s Suffrage Movement, however these negatives are negligible. During the War militancy ceased to exist and the Women’s Social and Political Union was no longer heard of. That being said, not all unions disbanded during this time. “Within the first week of the outbreak of war they had begun, collectively as well as individually, to offer their services to the Local Relief Committees, to the War Office, and to the Red Cross.” Additionally, major changes were made towards the end of the First World War which negate the few negative effects on unions. In 1918, the Parliamentary Qualification of Women Act was passed, which enabled women to stand as Members of Parliament. This gave women more power in government and a larger sway as to how the movement would further develop. By giving women roles in government, they were able to begin to decide their own futures, which was incredibly important. Giving a woman the right to vote is one thing, however for her to determine this for herself is very powerful as now the right to vote does not come from men but from within the women themselves. Lastly, during 1919, British women over the age of 30 were given the right to vote and by 1928 all restrictions on women were dropped, showing that World War I greatly pushed the Movement forward.
Overall, it can be seen that the First World War did have an effect on the Women's Suffrage Movement, however it is obvious that the passing for the right to vote was not solely dependant on the war. The Suffrage Movement was already well on its way before the war had even started as attempts at changes such as the Ladies Petition, the work of John Stuart Mill, women’s determination to be educated and the Local Government Act were making headway in gaining the right to vote. That being said, the war was needed to give the movement a boost and help it reach its peak as women were able to show their capability and take on leadership roles through the jobs they had work to assist the war effort. While the war negatively impacted unions, this was negligible in comparison to the positive impacts as in the end the right to vote was given to women over 30 just after the war, with every woman being able to vote nine years later. Therefore, one could say that the war did affect the Women's Suffrage but was not the catalyst for it as it was already well under way.