What does WSPU stand for?
| Rank Abbr. | Meaning |
| WSPU | World Scout Parliamentary Union (World . ... |
| WSPU | Wales Social Partners Unit (government i ... |
| WSPU | Women's Social and Political Union of En ... |
| Annie Kenney (left) and Christabel Pankhurst, c. 1908 | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | WSPU |
| Purpose | Votes for women |
| Motto | "Deeds, not words" |
| Headquarters | 4 Clement's Inn, Strand, London; Lincoln's Inn House, Kingsway, London |
What happened to the WSPU after WW1?
While the majority of WSPU members supported the war, a small number formed the Suffragettes of the Women's Social Political Union (SWSPU) and the Independent Women's Social and Political Union (IWSPU). The WSPU faded from public attention and was dissolved in 1917, with Christabel and Emmeline Pankhurst founding the Women's Party.
Who was the founder of the WSPU?
Immediately following the WSPU/WFL split, in autumn 1907, Frederick and Emmeline Pethick Lawrence founded the WSPU's own newspaper, Votes for Women. The Pethick Lawrences, who were part of the leadership of the WSPU until 1912, edited the newspaper and supported it financially in the early years.
What happened to the WSPU after the women's rights bill failed?
The WSPU changed tactics following the failure of the bill; they focused on attacking whichever political party was in government and refused to support any legislation which did not include enfranchisement for women. This translated into abandoning their initial commitment to also supporting immediate social reforms.
What does purple mean to the WSPU?
Purple represents loyalty and dignity, white for purity, and green for hope. In February 1907 the WSPU founded the Woman's Press, which oversaw publishing and propaganda for the organisation, and marketed a range of products from 1908 featuring the WSPU's name or colours.
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What did the WSPU do?
In 1908, WSPU members began a campaign of property destruction aimed largely at the existing power structure and designed for maximum publicity. Their activities included pouring acid in mailboxes, breaking windows, defacing artwork in the National Gallery, and tearing up golf courses.
What did the WSPU want?
The WSPU became an exclusively women's organization fighting to obtain women's suffrage by all means necessary. This does not mean that they did not have male supporters. In reality, many men wanted new social reforms that would spread to women and help them.
Who founded WSPU?
Emmeline PankhurstChristabel PankhurstWomen's Social and Political Union/Founders
Who were the WSPU leader?
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) became involved in women's suffrage in 1880. She was a founding member of the WSPU in 1903 and led it until it disbanded in 1918. Under her leadership the WSPU was a highly organised group and like other members she was imprisoned and went on hunger strike protests.
What were the WSPU Colours?
In 1908, the Women's Social and Political Union or WSPU, adopted the colour scheme of purple, white and green, that would not only distinguish them in their political movement, but would also prove to be a huge marketing success.
Did suffragettes hurt anyone?
Suffragettes in Great Britain and Ireland orchestrated a bombing and arson campaign between the years 1912 and 1914....Suffragette bombing and arson campaignOutcomeStalemate, outbreak of the World War I halts campaignCasualties5+ killed (including one suffragette) 24+ injured (including two suffragettes)6 more rows
How many members does WSPU have?
5,000By the outbreak of the First World War, the NUWSS had 50,000 members, but estimates on membership numbers for the WSPU vary massively from between 2,000 to 5,000.
What methods did the WSPU use?
The WSPU adopted militant, direct action tactics. They chained themselves to railings, disrupted public meetings and damaged public property. In 1913, Emily Davison stepped out in front of the King's horse at the Epsom Derby. Her purpose remains unclear, but she was hit and later died from her injuries.
What was the WSPU later known as?
Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and policies were tightly controlled by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia; Sylvia was eventually expelled. The WSPU membership became known for civil disobedience and direct action.
What did the WSPU do to try to get attention?
Militant suffragettes used arson and vandalism to draw attention to their struggle.
When did suffragettes end?
The suffragette campaign was suspended when World War I broke out in 1914. After the war, the Representation of the People Act 1918 gave the vote to women over the age of 30 who met certain property qualifications.
How was the WSPU Organised?
The WSPU assumed the organisation of an army. Control was centred around the Pankhursts, who managed to retain leadership even when Christabel was exiled to Paris. A small group of paid workers carried out the majority of the campaign, with volunteers playing only peripheral roles.
What was the aim of the Nuwss?
The NUWSS were keen to reassure the public that they did not want to challenge women's role as mothers and homemakers. In their aim to win over working-class women, they set out to persuade them that they needed the vote to protect their interests as wives, mothers and workers.
What does the Nuwss stand for?
In the years leading up to World War One, the campaigns of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) had done much to highlight the political injustice women endured.
Who was Emmeline Pankhurst and what did she do?
Emmeline Pankhurst was a political activist and leader of the suffrage movement in Great Britain. Though often criticized for her strongly militant tactics, her contributions toward achieving women's suffrage in Great Britain are well-recognized.
What was the suffragette movement?
A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom.
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What was the WSPU known for?
The WSPU membership became known for civil disobedience and direct action. It heckled politicians, held demonstrations and marches, broke the law to force arrests, broke windows in prominent buildings, set fire to post boxes, committed night-time arson of unoccupied houses and churches, and—when imprisoned—went on hunger strike and endured force-feeding .
Who founded the WSPU?
Emmeline Pankhurst stands (left) by the table on the platform. Immediately following the WSPU/WFL split, in autumn 1907, Frederick and Emmeline Pethick Lawrence founded the WSPU's own newspaper, Votes for Women.
What are the colors of the WSPU?
In 1908 the WSPU adopted purple, white, and green as its official colours. These colours were chosen by Emmeline Pethick Lawrence because "Purple...stands for the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette...white stands for purity in private and public life...green is the colour of hope and the emblem of spring". June 1908 saw the first major public use of these colours when the WSPU held a 300,000-strong " Women's Sunday " rally in Hyde Park .
When did the WSPU stop publishing the Suffragettes?
The WSPU stopped publishing The Suffragette, and in April 1915 it launched a new journal, Britannia. While the majority of WSPU members supported the war, a small number formed the Suffragettes of the Women's Social Political Union (SWSPU) and the Independent Women's Social and Political Union (IWSPU). The WSPU faded from public attention and was ...
When was the Women's Social and Political Union founded?
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was founded as an independent women's movement on 10 October 1903 at 62 Nelson Street, Manchester, home of the Pankhurst family. Emmeline Pankhurst, along with two of her daughters, Christabel and Sylvia, and her husband, Richard, before his death in 1898, had been active in ...
Who was the leader of the Women's Social and Political Union?
Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and policies were tightly controlled by Emmeline Pankhurst ...
When were the annual reports of the National Women's Social and Political Union published?
Annual Reports of the National Women's Social and Political Union, 1908-1912. , LSE Digital Library, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Overview
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was a women-only political movement and leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom from 1903 to 1918. Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and policies were tightly controlled by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia; Sylvia was eventually expelled.
Early years
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was founded as an independent women's movement on 10 October 1903 at 62 Nelson Street, Manchester, home of the Pankhurst family. Emmeline Pankhurst, along with two of her daughters, Christabel and Sylvia, and her husband, Richard, before his death in 1898, had been active in the Independent Labour Party (ILP), founded in 1893 by former S…
Campaigning develops
Immediately following the WSPU/WFL split, in autumn 1907, Frederick and Emmeline Pethick Lawrence founded the WSPU's own newspaper, Votes for Women. The Pethick Lawrences, who were part of the leadership of the WSPU until 1912, edited the newspaper and supported it financially in the early years.
In 1908 the WSPU adopted purple, white, and green as its official colours. The…
Direct action
In 1910 Conciliation Bill, giving a limited number of propertied and married women the vote was carried on its first reading in the House of Commons, but then shelved by Prime Minister Asquith. In protest, on 18 November Emmeline Pankhurst led 300 women from a pre-arranged meeting at the Caxton Hall in a march on Parliament where they were met and roughly handled by the police. Under continued pressure from the WSPU, the Liberal government re-introduced the Conciliatio…
Hunger strikes
In response to the continuing and repeated imprisonment of many of their members, the WSPU extended and supported prison hunger strikes. The authorities' policy of force feeding won the suffragettes public sympathy and induced the government later passed the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913. More commonly known as the "Cat and Mouse Act", this allo…
Splits and currents
Differences over direct action contributed to splits in the organisation. Emmeline Pethick Lawrence, who with her husband Frederick edited Votes for Women, was expelled in 1912. Christabel Pankhurst launched a new WPSU journal, fully committed to the militant strategy, The Suffragette. The Pethick-Lawrences then joined Agnes Harben and others in starting the United Suffragists, which was open to women and men, militants and non-militants alike.
During the First World War
On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Christabel Pankhurst was living in Paris, in order to run the organisation without fear of arrest. Her autocratic control enabled her, over the objections of Kitty Marion and others, to declare soon after war broke out that the WSPU should abandon its campaigns in favour of a nationalistic stance, supporting the British government in the war. The WSPU stopped publishing The Suffragette, and in April 1915 it launched a new journal, Britannia…
Suffrage drama
Between 1905 and 1914 suffrage drama and theatre forums became increasingly utilised by the women's movement. Around this same time, however, the WSPU also became increasingly associated with militancy, moving from marches, demonstrations, and other public performances to more avant-garde and inflammatory “acts of violence.” The organisation began using these shock tactics to demonstrate the seriousness and urgency of the cause. Their demonstrations i…