The Suffragists were formed to get the right to vote, they used methods such as writing letters and disturbing meetings to get their point across, and this didn’t shock anyone or make the government change their mind about the votes. In 1903, Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union in Manchester, she thought that by breaking the law and causing trouble, they would get attention. Some people believed that by doing this they would only prove that they were incapable of making sensible decisions and should not get the vote. Unlike the Suffragists, they did things that effected people, like burning churches and empty buildings, chaining themselves to railings outside building like parliament and smashing windows; this made more of an impact than writing letters to people. The only woman to die during the campaign was Emily Davidson; she died a few days after running out in front the Kings horse at the Epsom Derby. The vote was granted to women over 30 in 1918, but it took ten years before it was given to women over 21. The Women’s Liberation Movement was founded in the late 60’s, there was still discrimination in schools, the workplace and in the home for women, and they wanted women to be equal to men in all ways. Magazines and newspapers were published, protest rallies were organised, and supporters of the campaign raised awareness and put pressure on MPs to change laws to stop unfairness towards women.
Improved Contraception – 2
In 1860, more than 50% of families in Britain had over five children, the publication of a book sharing details about birth control, led to the prosecution of Charles Bradlaugh and Annie Besant, in 1877. It was reported that working-class wives spent 15 years either pregnant or caring for a young child, on average, in 1890. The large size of Victorian families meant that women had to work harder to look after the children while working to earn money to provide for them, the upper-class women wouldn’t have had to work as they would have had maids to look after the children, to cook and to clean the large houses they could afford. Marie Stopes opened a family planning clinic offering cheap contraceptives and giving free advice in London, in 1921. A decade later the Family Planning Association had started birth control clinics around the country, every local authority was obliged to have a clinic by 1967. The contraception pill was introduced in 1960, this gave women a choice to have children and control the size of families, it also means that on average, families today have around 2 children.
Education for girls – 3 Working class Victorian girls did not go to school. Girls from wealthy families could go to school, or were tutored at home, but they were not taught subjects that would challenge the mind such as maths and science. Singing, painting, sewing and painting were skills thought to be needed to attract a husband; these were taught to the girls at school. In the 1850’s Frances and Dorothea Beale set up a school for girls that taught the same subjects that were taught to boys, this led to Dr Elizabeth Garrett overcoming huge difficulties to become the first qualified female doctor Working class Victorian girls did not go to school. Girls from wealthy families could go to school, or were tutored at home, but they were not taught subjects that would challenge the mind such as maths and science. Singing, painting, sewing and painting were skills thought to be needed to attract a husband; these were taught to the girls at school. In the 1850’s Frances and Dorothea Beale set up a school for girls that taught the same subjects that were taught to boys, this led to Dr Elizabeth Garrett overcoming huge difficulties to become the first qualified female doctor in Britain, in 1866. 5-12 year old girls were sent to school in the 1880’s and 1890’s, they learnt the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. The main aim was still giving girls the
