Suffragette
Suffragettes were members of women's organisations in the late 19th and early 20th century which advocated the extension of the "franchise", or the right to vote in public elections, to women. It particularly refers to militants in Great Britain such as members of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Suffragist is a more general term for members of the suffrage movement.
The term "suffragette" is particularly associated with activists in the British WSPU, led by Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, who were influenced by Russian methods of protest such as hunger strikes. Although the Isle of Man had enfranchised women who owned property to vote in Parliamentary (Tynwald) elections in 1881, New Zealand was the first self-governing country to grant all women the right to vote in 1893 when all women over the age of 21 were permitted to vote in parliamentary elections. Women in South Australia achieved the same right and also became the first to obtain the right to stand for Parliament in 1895. In the United States, white women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote in the western territories of Wyoming from 1869 and in Utah from 1870, and in most states outside the South by 1919. With the ratification in 1920 of the Nineteenth Amendment the suffrage was extended to white women across the United States in time for the 1920 presidential election. Women over 21 were allowed to vote in Canada (except Quebec) from 1919.
Podcasts:
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by Horrible Histories
Suffragettes
by: Horrible HistoriesWe are the suffragettes,
think you know some fierce girls?
You ain't heard nothing yet.
A lass called Milli Fawcett founder of our cause,
started the battle for our rights
Argued the government should change the laws,
Here is how she stated applied
How come girls can't vote for rules that we have to obey?
When we work and pay taxes too!
Parliament's reaction was
'oh do go away!'
How dare they diss the suffrage crew
Suffragettes sing, we're gonna do this thing
peaceful protest started in 1903
got no reaction, needed drastic action
got a new leader Emmeline Pankhurst
that's me
Burst into parliament shouting votes for women,
actions though were shocking anf new
chained ourselves to palace gates
tension was brimming on the WSPU
Burned down churches, smashed up shops
attacked MPs, the result we were thrown in gaol
This made us more determined as you'll come to see
think we'd give up fighting? hey fail!
Suffragettes sing together we can win
In prison we protested and went on hunger strike
men still said no but we just said Yo!
you won't stop us now!
Miss Davison please take the mic
We became more extreme
derby day June 13
in front of king and queen
committed sacrifice supreme
crept unseen between the team
and crowds watching the race
and threw myself under a horse
to try and make our case
Became a famous martyr, how did men react?
we can't give women votes if they're so stupid they'll do that
seemed our cause was lost
when world war came along
our suffragette reaction
was to wave our protest good bye
farewell, so long, took patriotic action
put down our banner sayinggive us votes
instead supported the men's fight
worked to help them win the war so guess what they said
okay ladies... you were right!
Suffragettes sing, we've done it ding-ding
at last those men could see they should treat us the same
so all take note now that women can vote
and it's thanks to those who fought in the