WSPU 1903-1914 Part 2

Question 1

Why was Sylvia’s stance on the WSPU militancy hypocritical?

Answer 1

She was regularly in and out of prison for acts of militancy

Question 2

How many times was Sylvia arrested in Spring 1913?

Answer 2

3 times, going on a hunger strike on the third occasion

Question 3

What made Sylvia stand out from the rest of the Pankhursts?

Answer 3

She was a socialist

Question 4

What did Syliva believe that the move away from Labour was typical of?

Answer 4

Christabel’s ‘incipient Toryism’

Question 5

When did Sylvia leave the WSPU?

Answer 5

1913

Question 6

What did Sylvia found?

Answer 6

East London Federation of Suffragettes (ELFS)

Question 7

What was the difference between the WSPU and the ELFS?

Answer 7

ELFS included male members and was a democratically organised society

Question 8

When did Emily Davison join the WSPU?

Answer 8

1906

Question 9

When did Davison quit her job to campaign full-tme for the WSPU?

Answer 9

1908

Question 10

What did Emily Davison do before the WSPU?

Answer 10

Worked as a teacher; studied at the University of Oxford

Question 11

When was Davison killed?

Answer 11

June 1913

Question 12

Where did Davison throw herself in front of the king’s horse?

Answer 12

Epsom Derby

Question 13

What has been suggested about WSPU militancy?

Answer 13

Much was not directed by the WPSU, but performed on individual members’ private initiative

Question 14

When did Christabel’s role in the WSPU diminish?

Answer 14

After 1912

Question 15

Why did Christabel’s role in the WSPU diminish?

Answer 15

She fled to France to avoid imprisonment

Question 16

How did Christabel get involved from the WSPU from afar?

Answer 16

Regular meetings with Annie Kenney from Paris

Question 17

What in particular did Christabel direct from afar?

Answer 17

WSPU’s arson campaign

Question 18

When did Emmeline’s power diminish?

Answer 18

1913

Question 19

When was the government seriously considering extending the franchise?

Answer 19

1909-14

Question 20

What was the problem with the WSPU’s organisation?

Answer 20

WSPU’s autocratic nature was limited and inflexible

Question 21

What were several political obstacles preventing the success of female suffrage between 1909-14?

Answer 21

PM’s personal opposition; 1910 constitutional crisis; debates over form of female suffrage

Question 22

When had many pro-suffrage MPs become disillusioned because of WPSU violence?

Answer 22

By 1912

Question 23

Why could the WSPU be considered pragmatic? (sensible)

Answer 23

They conceived of only a limited extension to the franchise

Question 24

What was one of the biggest obstacles to female suffrage in 1909?

Answer 24

Party deadlock between Conservatives and Liberals about the form it should take

Question 25

What kind of female suffrage were Conservative MPs advocating in 1909?

Answer 25

Equal suffrage rights with men

Question 26

Why did the Liberals reject the Conservative proposal of female suffrage in 1909?

Answer 26

Feared it would add more Conservative votes to the electorate

Question 27

What kind of female suffrage were Liberal MPs advocating in 1909?

Answer 27

Extending suffrage criteria so that women and more working-class men would have the vote

Question 28

When did a significant women's suffrage bill fail?

Answer 28

1910

Question 29

Which Liberal MP introduced an unsuccessful private member's bill for both male and female suffrage, based on a 3-month residential qualification?

Answer 29

Geoffrey Howard

Question 30

How did the 1909 women's suffrage bill fare in parliament?

Answer 30

Failed to proceed

Question 31

What did the 1910 bill propose?

Answer 31

Proposed to conciliate the suffrage movement by giving a limited number of women the vote according to their property and their marriage status (approx 1m women)

Question 32

How did the 1910 bill actually fare in the HofC?

Answer 32

Conciliation Bill carried by 109 votes and was sent away to be amended in the HofC

Question 33

When was Black Friday?

Answer 33

Nov 1910

Question 34

What happened on Black Friday?

Answer 34

WSPU resumed hostilities and 300 women were being assaulted by police

Question 35

How many women died on Black Friday?

Answer 35

3

Question 36

When was a 2nd conciliation bill passed?

Answer 36

May 1911

Question 37

What did the 2nd conciliation bill pass by?

Answer 37

255 to 81 - a majority of 167!

Question 38

Who opposed the 2nd conciliation bill?

Answer 38

David Lloyd George (although a universal suffragist)

Question 39

Why did David Lloyd George oppose the conciliation bill?

Answer 39

He was convinced that if it were to become law it would hand more votes to the conservative party Asquith agreed to give female suffrage a week or more for its full discussion in 1912

Question 40

When was there a 3rd conciliation bill?

Answer 40

March 1912

Question 41

How did the 3rd conciliation bill fare?

Answer 41

Defeated by 14 votes

Question 42

How did the female suffrage societies react to the failure of the 3rd conciliation bill?

Answer 42

NUWSS moved to make an alliance with labour | WSPU resumed even more militant tactics

Question 43

What was part of the reason for the failure of the 3rd conciliation bill?

Answer 43

WSPU's militant violence - its defeat represented the loss of WSPU's best peacetime chance to secure the vote

Question 44

How did Asquith sabotage the 3rd conciliation bill?

Answer 44

He persuaded Irish National MP's (total 74 votes) to drop their support for the bill in order to secure legislation for IHR