Just Finished Reading: Suffragette – My Own Story by Emmeline Pankhurst (FP: 1914)

Enough was enough. That was her feeling. With growing anger there was no other alternative. After decades of working within the system, working long hours to have Liberal Members of Parliament elected cycle after cycle in the hope that one day they would be rewarded with the long wished for political franchise they at long last realised that it was all in vain. Although many still hoped for that long desire to be realised at some point in the future others wanted to move things forward at their pace and no longer wait for men to give them power when all other problems had been solved. Enough was enough.

One of those disappointed with a singular lack of progress was a young northern woman who joined a more radical set of women and eventually, through years of activism, eventually formed her own political group – the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Their object was female suffrage by whatever means necessary. At first they raised petitions (which were ignored) and staged marches (likewise). When that proved to be fruitless they began to emulate the long male tradition of heckling politicians when they spoke to the public (and where physically ejected). No matter the violence directed to them they persisted without much effect except for an increasing number of press reports (mostly negative). Not being able to vote themselves they hit on a brilliant idea – politically undermining the Liberal cause by speaking against them. Despite government and media propaganda this did have an effect with reduced majorities and, in some cases, Liberals losing their seats. While the few Labour MPs spoke up for them there was still little support in parliament and much opposition in the Liberal government to Votes for Women. It was time to take it to the next level.

More petitions were raised and where delivered (or attempted to be delivered) by larger and larger numbers of women. The police responded with arrests and an increasing level of violence directed at the women themselves. Refusing to pay their fines the women started short prison sentences and demanded to be treated as political prisoners rather than common criminals. When the authorities refused they used the only weapons they had – no co-operation and hunger strike. Political status was granted and many of the women were released after a few days only to be arrested again during the next round of protests. With the numbers of women arrested increasing month on month and the incidents increasing likewise the government increased the draconian measures against the WSPU raiding their offices, closing down their paper and threatening action against any donors. They also enacted their most potent weapon to date – the so-called ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act where hunger striking women were released only to be re-arrested once they recovered their strength. With attitudes hardening on both sides the women protestors took things up a level again with the targeted attacks on property.

Again they used to time honoured method of political protest used by men in decades past to gain the vote themselves – the breaking of windows. The sound of smashing glass resounded across London with the police rushing from one incident to another to find the perpetrators already gone and the sound of more breaking glass in the distance. Some women were arrested and the head of the organisation (the author) was herself arrested for conspiracy and given 3 years hard labour. You can imagine the reaction from her followers. Not only were windows broken as never before but fires broke out in timber yards and houses of the rich and powerful across the country. Leading politicians went everywhere with an ever increasing security detail, art galleries closed to protect their exhibits, golf courses were vandalised and even the Prime Ministers country home was severely damaged by a bomb explosion. Only the advent of hostilities with the Central Powers in 1914 brought the campaign to a (temporary) halt before the rebellion became an insurrection.

Told with brutal honesty this is a stirring account of the origins of the Suffragettes as they campaigned and fought for the equal right to vote with their male counterparts. I knew some of the events discussed from the inside of the organisation but I had little idea of the complete intransigence of the government or the lengths the women were willing to go to in order to achieve what they believed they deserved as a right. There was honestly talk of an armed uprising which frankly astonished me. Where the Suffragettes of the WSPU a terrorist organisation? Arguably yes. I think they would certainly have been charged under the Anti-Terrorism laws we have in place today. They certainly used violence and the threat of violence to achieve political ends so, yes, that’s terrorism. Naturally such a view is both controversial and uncomfortable because they eventually won and, more importantly, they were right in their aim. Did they have any choice in their methods? Probably not. They advanced their agenda step by careful step using the least violent method until that had been shown to be ineffective before moving the ratchet another step forward. If the war had not intervened I’m confident that there would have been much more violent incidents and probably deaths. It’s actually surprising how few deaths did occur and how ultimately restrained most of the women where (more later on that subject).

I wasn’t prepared for just how good this narrative was. I guess I wasn’t expecting to identify so strongly with the women (and a few men) who fought for so long and so hard to be allowed to express their political opinion in the same way as men. By their actions they proved time and again that they had at least the fortitude, grit and determination to fight for their rights just as much as their male counterparts. They were most certainly not bubbleheaded baby makers. I can see why they eventually won their fight. They were simply never going to give up until they got their way. This was definitely one of the highlights of this year’s reading and I have been recommending it to everyone who will put up with me gushing about it. Being over 100 years old it’s a free Kindle download so there’s really no excuse. Very highly recommended. MUCH more to come from this interesting period of political history and the fight itself.