p&tp part four: equality and rights Flashcards
(51 cards)
1
Q
chapter 10: what were the 3 main groups created to campaign for women’s suffrage between 1897-1913 called?
A
- the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) - Suffragists
- the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) - Suffragettes
- the Women’s Freedom League
2
Q
chapter 10: what was the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS)/what did they believe?
A
- Millicent Fawcett created NUWSS in 1897 (also known as Suffragists)
- believed in peaceful methods (meetings, speeches, letters, posters)
- wanted to be seen as kind & gentle to persuade men to give them vote
- tried to get the vote by lobbing MPs, speaking publicly, creating petitions & distributing pamphlets
3
Q
chapter 10: what was the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU)/what did they believe?
A
- Emmeline Pankhurst was member of the Manchester NUWSS; she decided it was time for more direct action
- formed WSPU in 1903 w daughters Christabel and Sylvia
- known as suffragettes
- believed in “deeds not words”
4
Q
chapter 10: what was the Women’s Freedom League/what did they believe?
A
- created in 1907 by WSPU members who didn’t believe in violent tactics
- mostly pacifists
- also campaigned for equal pay for women
5
Q
chapter 10: what was similar between all 3 main groups campaigning for women’s suffrage?
A
they were all middle-class and all wanted the vote for women
6
Q
chapter 10: what more militant tactics did the WSPU use to get the vote for women?
A
- heckling MPs during speeches
- demonstrations outside House of Commons
- chaining themselves to railings
- 1912 stone-throwing campaign: over 200 suffragettes arrested
- arson attacks & blowing up buildings
7
Q
chapter 10: info about Emily Wilding Davison/what she did
A
- 1913, Epsom Derby: ran onto track in front of King’s horse; trampled by horse & died of her injuries
- no one knows whether she meant to kill herself or just stick a suffragette rosette onto king’s horse
- regarded as first martyr of suffragette movement - now clear how far these women would go to get the vote
8
Q
chapter 10: what was the Cat and Mouse Act?
A
- gov passed the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act in 1913
- said women should be released when they became too weak due to starvation
- once well enough they’d be rearrested and returned to prison
- this became known as the “Cat and Mouse Act”
9
Q
chapter 10: why was the Cat and Mouse Act created?
A
- suffragettes regularly arrested for violent tactics, & in prison extended protest by going on hunger strike
- gov couldn’t let them die as they were from middle-class families w influential husband/fathers
- also gov didn’t want to create martyrs
- women initially force-fed but this seen as too dangerous as it could lead to disabilities or death
10
Q
chapter 10: why did people often oppose the suffragette’s aims and methods?
A
- thought they held back women’s suffrage bc their violence made them look irrational & unbalanced - a good reason for not having vote
- thought a woman’s place was in the home
- thought politics was a man’s world & women unsuited to it; PM Herbert Asquith believed this and blocked moves to give women the vote
11
Q
chapter 10: how did the war help women get the vote?
A
- women ran family businesses & worked in stressful war environment - showed they could make clear-headed decisions
- by working on farms, in factories and on front line as nurses, women showed they could do same jobs as men; became known as the “angel of the factory”
- proved they could do war work & still look after their children & homes
12
Q
chapter 10: what were the steps towards universal suffrage?
A
- gov felt that some women deserved the vote, as did the working-class men who’d fought
- in Feb 1918, the 1918 Representation of the People Act gave vote to all men over 21 & women over 30 but w property qualifications
- after war women had to leave workplace & make way for men returning from war
- women continued to campaign for all women to be able to vote; in 1928 women given the vote on equal terms w men
13
Q
chapter 10: when was the Women’s Movement made, and what did it do?
A
the 1960s, and it demanded:
- equal pay w men
- more women in higher education
- 24 hr child care
- free contraception & abortion on demand
the movement wanted women to have the same rights & opportunities as men
14
Q
chapter 10: what were some of the successes of the Women’s Movement (made in the 1960s)?
A
- 1969: Divorce Reform Act - allowed women to divorce their husbands & claim any property owned in the divorce settlement
- 1970: Equal Pay Act - gave women right to be paid same as men for the same work
- 1975: Sex Discrimination Act - gave women rights & protection in the workplace
15
Q
chapter 10: summary of the women’s campaign for the vote?
A
- in late 19th century, group of middle-class women started to fight for women to have the vote
- most people in society believed politics was a man’s world & no place for women
- Emmeline Pankhurst started new group, the WSPU, that would use more militant methods
- during WWI women stopped campaigning & worked to win the war
- in 1918 some women gained voting rights & by 1928 women had same voting rights as men
- the fight for equality continued throughout 20th century
16
Q
chapter 11: what were the causes of the General Strike of 1926?
A
- impact of WWI
- technology
- mine owners & the unions
17
Q
chapter 11: how did the impact of WWI cause the General Strike of 1926?
A
- during war Britain’s output had been high w lots of people working in industry
- coal mines had been nationalised, but were returned to private owners afterwards
- after 1918 there was a fall in demand for coal
- mine owners had to either close inefficient mines or introduce new automatic machinery that’d mean fewer men needed
18
Q
chapter 11: how did technology cause the General Strike of 1926?
A
- British coal mining struggled further bc mines in countries like Germany & USA had more modern equipment and lower costs
- British mines couldn’t compete so unions called for mines to be re-nationalised
19
Q
chapter 11: how did the mine owners and the unions cause the General Strike of 1926?
A
- 15th April 1921 (Black Friday): mine owners announced longer working hours but drop in wages
- miners decided to strike, but w/o support of other big unions they had to go back or lose their jobs
20
Q
chapter 11: when was Black Friday & what happened?
A
15th April 1921, when mine owners announced longer working hours but a drop in wages
21
Q
chapter 11: what happened in 1925 (General Strike)?
A
price of coal fell & miners faced a further wage cut - fearing a General Strike w the miners backed by other big unions, gov subsidised coal industry
22
Q
chapter 11: when did the government subsidies run out and what happened? (General Strike)
A
- April 1926
- miners didn’t want pay cut
- the TUC (Trades Union Congress) agreed to strike & on 3rd May 1926 Britain’s first General Strike began
- it lasted for 9 days w both sides using various tactics
23
Q
chapter 11: what were the government’s actions during the General Strike?
A
- army & uni students took over essential jobs in industry
- used own newspaper The British Gazette as propaganda to turn public against the strike
- army stopped violent clashes between strikers & the gov
24
Q
chapter 11: what were the TUC’s actions during the General Strike?
A
- strikers travelled to picket other industries & at times clashed violently w police
- used their newspaper The British Worker to explain reasons for the strike
- set up funds to feed families of strikers to help keep strike going
25
chapter 11: how long did the General Strike last?
9 days - 3rd May 1926 to 12 May 1926
26
chapter 11: what were the consequences/short term significance of the General Strike?
- ended on 12th May 1926
- gov won, as unions ran out of money & Labour Party didn't support strike
- miners had to return to work for lower wages & longer hours
- gov passed the Trades Disputes and Trades Unions Act, 1927 - stopped unions joining together to strike or pay funds to a political party
27
chapter 11: what happened after the Second World War (General Strike)?
- society changed & most key industries were nationalised
- trade union membership inc when Labour gov passed an amended Trades Disputes & Trade Unions Act
- inc union membership became problem for gov when 1960s brought an increase in prices & drop in wages
28
chapter 11: timeline of workers' rights in the 1970s-80s
- **1972 & 74:** National Union of Miners vote for coal strikes which lead to 3 day week (conservative gov)
- **1974:** new Labour gov brings in a social contract that **secures regular wage incs**
- **winter 1978-79:** series of strikes by public sector trade unions demanding larger pay rises (known as **Winter of Discontent**) (labour gov)
- **1979:** Conservatives come to power under Margaret Thatcher; begin to **challenge power of unions**
- **1980 & 82: Employment Acts** introduced, making it unlawful for someone to be fired bc not in a union; also give employers more power to fire striking employees
- **1984: Miners' Strike;** gov introduces **Trades Union Act**, making it harder to strike legally
- **1985: Miners' Strike ends; gov has control over trade unions**
29
chapter 11: summary of workers' rights?
- after WWI prices for industrial goods fell
- miners & other groups called for nationalisation to save their jobs
- there was an inc in union activity, resulting in General Strike 1926
- gov passed laws to restrict union activity
- after WWII union power grew & strikes could paralyse essential services
- gov took action to limit powers of the unions in late 20th century
30
chapter 12: how did the British government invite people from Commonwealth countries to come to live and work in Britain?
- **1948 British Nationality Act** gave all Commonwealth citizens chance to move to Britain
- if they came to the "Mother Country" they could gain full British citizenship
- people from Commonwealth countries keen to see what Britain like & to benefit from new opportunities
- British gov gave **interest-free loans** so immigrants could afford cost of travelling by ship
- recruitment fairs in countries like Jamaica helped immigrants secure a job before they'd left their home country
31
chapter 12: when did the Empire Windrush ship dock near London, and how many people were on it?
22 June 1948, docked w 492 people from Caribbean on board - over next decade more immigrants arrived from Caribbean & Asia
32
chapter 12: what year was the British Nationality Act and what did it do?
1948, gave all Commonwealth citizens chance to move to Britain; if they moved there they could gain full British citizenship
33
chapter 12: what was the immigrant experience like socially?
- first wave of immigrants were mostly young black men; they clashed w groups of young white men
- in areas that they'd moved to there was segregation
34
chapter 12: what was the immigrant experience like employment-wise?
- many forced to do low paid, unskilled work as qualifications not recognised
- doctors arrived from Indian subcontinent and worked in new NHS
- many Asian immigrants started own businesses in their communities
35
chapter 12: what was the immigrant experience like housing-wise?
- many white people moved out of areas that immigrants moved to - known as "white flight"
- many landlords & even housing associations tried to stop black and Asian people renting their houses
36
chapter 12: when were the Notting Hill Riots?
1958
37
chapter 12: why did the Notting Hill Riots take place?
- many felt too many immigrants in major cities & relations between immigrants & some white residents grew worse
- black people found it harder to get work, as factory owners & other employers refused to employ immigrants
- immigrant's arrival often resented by poor white working class men who saw them as "taking their women", stealing their jobs and driving down wages
38
chapter 12: what happened in the Notting Hill Riots of 1958?
- in Notting Hill area of London, Caribbean immigrants often attacked by gangs of white youths (Teddy Boys)
- they sometimes belonged to racist organisations such as the White Defence League
- at end of August 1958, hundreds of Teddy Boys joined anti-immigrant riots and attacked both immigrants & the properties in Notting Hill
39
chapter 12: what acts/law things were passed in response to the immigration & racism?
- **1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act:** immigrants need to apply for a work voucher to come to Britain; can only get one if their skills in demand
- **1968 Commonwealth Immigrants Act:** even those who hold British passport can't come to Britain unless they have parent/grandparent who was born in or a citizen of UK; possibly introduced out of fear that 200,000 Asians living in Kenya might come to Britain to escape discrimination, due to policy of Africanisation being introduced in Kenya
- **1971 Immigration Act:** immigrants can only get temporary work permits; also encourages voluntary repatriation - the gov will help people move back to country of origin & change citizenship back
40
chapter 12: what was the message the gov sent w the reforms for immigration/what was their ST significance?
sent clear message that they wanted to reduce no. of immigrants, but the reforms were viewed as an attempt to simply reduce non-white immigration
41
chapter 12: who was Enoch Powell?
- Conservative MP who was very outspoken about immigration
- gave famous speech in 1968 ("Rivers of Blood" speech)
- the feeling that the gov acts were racist was fuelled by his politics
42
chapter 12: what impact did Enoch Powell's politics have?
- gained a lot of support, especially from working class
- supporters of "Powellism" believed white people superior to non-white people, even those born in Britain
- Powellism encouraged politics of the National Front, a group who wanted all non-white people to return to their family's country of origin
43
chapter 12: what government acts were passed to try to reassure the black and Asian people in Britain that the government represented them as well? (Race Relations Acts)
- **1965 Race Relations Act:** prevented racial discrimination in housing & employment; no criminal convictions ever brought before the Race Relations Board though
- **1976 Race Relations Act:** stated that discrimination meant any practice that put another group at a disadvantage; replaced Race Relations Board w more powerful Commission for Racial Equality
44
chapter 12: what was the 1976 Race Relations Act seen as and why?
a failure, as within 5 yrs there were riots in Brixton and in major cities around UK
45
chapter 12: what were the reasons behind the Brixton Riots of 1981?
- on surface they were about **poor relations between black community & police,** but there were many other reasons too
- economic: in Britain in **late 1970s** there was a **recession** & this economic hardship hit black communities hardest w high unemployment, poor housing & higher crime rates
- political: in **1977** the **Battle of Lewisham** caused by a National Front march through borough of Lewisham, which was predominantly a black area. the National Front convinced that black people more likely to be involved in crime & this made them even more against multi-cultural societies
- social: **"sus law"** - new law allowed police to stop & search anyone they suspected was about to commit a crime; many saw this as **racial profiling** & felt that more black people were being stopped bc of skin colour
46
chapter 12: how many people were stopped in 6 days in Brixton under "sus law", and what did it do?
1000 people; tension inc as young black men felt attacked in their own community
47
chapter 12: what sparked the start of the Brixton Riots?
rumours of police brutality & the arrest of a young black man on 10th April 1981
48
chapter 12: what happened in the Brixton Riots?
for 3 days people fought police, and set fire to cars & buildings
49
chapter 12: what happened after the Brixton Riots?
- Lord Scarman asked to write report on events
- he found that there was no institutional racism in metropolitan police service
- suggested making racially prejudiced behaviour an offence
- ended "sus law"
- led to creation of police complaints authority
50
chapter 12: what did an investigation in the 1990s prove? (Stephen Lawrence murder)
that the Metropolitan Police Service did suffer from institutional racism after their poor response to murder of Stephen Lawrence - a racially motivated attack - in 1993
51
chapter 12: when were the Brixton Riots?
10th-12th April 1981
