Women’s Suffrage: Crusade In 19th Century
The women’s suffrage crusade in England during the nineteenth century advocated for enfranchisement. The movement was political, psychological and deeply religious. Suffragists and Suffragettes brought change from a strict Victorian-like age of taboo, to feminists of all backgrounds rallying together in the hundreds of thousands to bring equality between a man and a woman. If it were not for these brave feminists adopting Christian ideology to spread their beliefs, the women of England may not even have the simple right to vote today.
The culture before the suffrage crusade was that until marriage, unless an heiress, women were subjected to their fathers. Most men viewed the tutoring of their daughters an unnecessary expense. In the 1830’s there were a few girls’ schools, but none that were worthy of that title since all they would teach was dancing, French, and how to manage servants. Until 1840 there was nothing resembling higher schooling for women. Once a woman was married, she became property of her husband with all her goods becoming his. He could beat her and rape her without fearing the law, as long as he did not kill her. Divorce required an act of parliament; and men who violated the rules of marriage were viewed as an inevitability while women who did so were viewed as harlots.
At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, in 1837, working-class women still worked down coal mines, doing heavy work, often half naked, and commonly when pregnant or within days of having given birth. John Stuart Mill, a feminist of the 19th century, described in his essay The Subjection of Women, the condition of females in Britain in that era was parallel to slavery. To most of the men who ruled Britain in the 19th century what Mill called 'slavery' was simply the natural order. And, because they saw it as such, they saw no reason to change things, and viewed equality as an irrationality. This era left women frustrated as men had the authority over everything, from being raised with her fathers and brothers, to once she was married with her husband. The feminist undertaking gained once some “radical” families allowed their daughters to develop minds of their own. As a product of this, in 1849 Bedford college was the first establishment of higher education for women in Great Britain. Meanwhile, many colleges at this time allowed women to attend lectures but refused to award women with degrees.
The nation changed as it transitioned to the 1870s when women had won the civil rights to divorce and own land. Also, by having established place of teaching other women, they at last had the confidence to take on their oppressors. Although, it was not until 1905 when Emmeline Pankhurst famously founded the Women’s Social and Political Union formed and adopted the official motto ‘Deeds not Words,’ beginning militant action by the Suffragettes, that momentum was truly gained. Pankhurst believed that since the term suffragettes was coined, they should say “suffraGettes” with a hard G to imply that they not only want the vote, but they intended to get it. In 1908, the WSPU organized ‘Women’s Sunday’ demonstration at Hyde Park, London. It was the largest-ever political rally in London with 250,000 attendees. Being that the movement was being ignored by the Prime Minister a month prior, the Suffragettes turned to smashing windows in Downing street with stones covered in written demands and tying themselves to fences.
Many were arrested, one being Marion Dunlop who was the first Suffragette to non-violently protest by going on a hunger strike. Other Suffragette prisoners adopted the hunger strike and were released as soon as they showed signs of weakness. However, prison staff began forcing mixtures of milk, eggs, or other liquids to be poured into the stomach through a rubber tube via the mouth or nose of the prisoner. Suffragettes suffered broken teeth, bleeding, vomiting, and choking while food was poured into their lungs. As if that was not enough, the Cat and Mouse Act (officially Prisoners Temporary Discharge for Ill Health Act) was introduced allowing temporary release of Suffragettes on hunger strike, and then re-arrest them once they have recovered. For this reason, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies concluded their pilgrimage of 50,000 with a rally at Hyde Park in 1914. These were not the only forms of militant political campaign tactics. The suffragettes' militant actions were supported by their many references to Christian experiences and beliefs.
Suffragettes implemented Christian theology, experiences, and the Bible. They even adopted Joan of Arc as their patron saint as they felt she embodied the same spirit as that which strengthen them to risk their liberty and endure torture for the sake of freedom. Emily Wilding Davison became a martyr on June 4th, 1914, a possible Christian tactic, by being trampled by the King’s horse while rushing onto the track. Her daughter, Sylvia Pankhurst, writes that Davison 'had long believed that the deliberate giving of a woman's life would create the atmosphere necessary to win the victory, and bring all the suffering of the militants to an end'. Likely in adoption of Christian tactics, these women often recounted by describing a theatrical change when she felt the call to a new life of action for the cause of women’s suffrage to rally others for the cause.
All things considered World War One greatly postponed campaigns, and while some bills brought change that let women over 30 vote, it wasn’t until ten years later in 1928 that women over 21 were finally allowed to vote, if they met certain property qualifications. Voting rights for British women were won through a combination of the militant suffragettes and their more law-abiding sisters, the suffragists. Today the British suffragettes are not seen as polite campaigners, but as empowered women who utilized militant tactics, went on hunger strikes, and broke windows for political representation.
To summarize, the fight for enfranchisement was political, psychological and deeply religious. It was political as these women needed men to represent them until they could represent themselves. It was psychological as prisoners were already on hunger strike, and then the prison staff were told to force feed them strange liquid through their mouths or noses. Also, it was religious as they used many Christian tactics to try and help others understand the experience they are going through. These women suffered and knew that unless they fought back, they would continue the endless cycle of not being educated and therefore considered less than a man. To sum up, if it were not for these brave feminists adopting Christian ideology to spread their beliefs, the women of England may not even have the simple right to vote today.
References
- British Learning Library. (2017, August 16). Women's suffrage timeline. Retrieved from https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/womens-suffrage-timeline
- Cook, B. (2018, October 5). Six facts about Suffragette hunger strikes. Retrieved from https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-suffragette-hunger-strikes
- Heffer, S. (2013, October 11). Founding mothers: Victorian society was full of intelligent women going mad with frustration. Then the fightback began. New Statesman, 142(5179), 30+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A347748115/AONE?u=canyonuniv&sid=AONE&xid=d6c54100
- Nelson, C. C. (2010). The Uses of Religion in the Women’s Militant Suffrage Campaign in England. Midwest Quarterly, 51(3), 227–242. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=49787732&site=ehost-live&scope=site
