Level 2 History 2009
Achievement Standard 90470: Examine individual or group identity in an historical
setting, in an essay
Result- Excellence
Theme C: Government and Political Change
Participation of Women in the Emerging British Democratic System 1860-1930
Essay Topic
Describe and explain how a series of crises and events over time helped shape the
characteristics/identity of a specific individual or group.
Describe and explain how the specific individual or group expressed their identity through
their actions.
During the 19th & 20th centuries in Britain women were underprivileged, underpaid & greatly
restricted. They had very little rights legally or socially. The suffragettes were a group of
determined, hardworking women who desperately wanted change. Factors such as the
Industrial Revolution, the repressive British culture at the time, the slow progress of the
suffragists & the shared experiences, values & beliefs of the suffragettes, were all factors &
events over time which helped to shape the characteristics & identity of the suffragettes. The
suffragettes campaign style, their radical tactics, hunger strikes & the colours they wore were
all ways in which they expressed their identity.
The suffragettes were a group of determined, hardworking women who wanted to gain the
vote for women & rights & equality with men. Belonging to the women’s social & Political
Union (WSPU), the suffragettes consisted of women from all social classes & standings.
Members were known for their determination, their resourcefulness & their flamboyant
campaign style. All suffragettes believed in obtaining rights & the vote for women & divided
no attention between suffrage & other social reforms. The suffragettes were solely focused
on one purpose: gaining the vote, & in turn, equality with men.
During the early 1800’s the Industrial Revolution took place in Britain. This revolution
sparked a swell of new movements & caused a rise in socio-economic demands. Cheap
labour was needed now more than ever, & this cheap labour was found in the hiring of poor &
working class women. Most poor & lower class women, with no other means of supporting
themselves or their families, had no choice but to enter this sort of unskilled labour with no
education or proper training in trades or skills most poor & working class women were forced
into cheap labour. The Industrial Revolution was an event that sparked poverty amongst the
lower & working class women, & recognition & demand for change.
British Culture & society during the 19th & 20th centuries was restrictive, repressive & very
narrow minded. Views about women & gender roles were firmly fixed. Women were seen to
be the weaker sex. They were seen to be fragile, unintelligent creatures whose sole purpose
was to be a ‘childbearer’, a ‘guardian of the home’. Women were expected to get married &
have children, to behave ladylike at all times. Once married, a woman became a ‘chattel’, a
possession of her husband. On marriage all of a woman’s belongs & any of her earnings went
straight to her husband. The husband was in complete control of the household & always
held the final word. Signs of rebellion were crushed. Women were barred from universities
& could not receive a decent education. Upper class women received a basic education of the
‘3R’s’ (reading, writing & arithmetic), some history & foreign language, taught at home by a
governess. Women at this time were unable to obtain any form of power or status, or a decent
job. Some of the poorest & most exploited people at this time in Britain were women. This
British society & culture during the 19th & 20th centuries & the events & strife it caused
women helped to shape the characteristics, aims & beliefs of the suffragettes.
Before the emergence of the suffragettes as a women’s suffrage group in 1903, the suffragists
were a group of women who campaigned for the vote & rights for women. The suffragists
were a group of women who also wanted changed & who used peaceful, law abiding methods
in order to achieve their aims. For over forty years the suffragists peacefully campaigned for
the vote, canvassing for support, holding meetings & politely waiting for their bill to be
passed in parliament. Next to nothing was achieved. The suffragettes emerged as a long line
women who were sick of waiting & wanted rapid change. After witnessing the slow progress
of the methods of the suffragists, the suffragettes realised that to get the publicity & support
their cause needed they would have to go to drastic measures & that their behaviour would
have to be bad enough to get them arrested. The slow progress of the suffragists was
therefore a factor contributing to the formation & radical characteristic of the suffragettes.
After a long series of campaigns achieving next to nothing staged by the suffragists, the
suffragettes saw that a different approach was needed.
The shared experiences, values & beliefs of the suffragettes helped to form their distinctive
identity. The suffragettes consisted of women from all social classes & standings who all
wanted change. All members had experienced the severity of a woman’s position in society
& the hardships she had to endure. Suffragette members were all solely focused on gaining
the vote & rights for women & valued courage & determination in their members. Because
all suffragettes had the same common shared experiences of the poverty, hardships &
everyday struggles women had to face they were able to relate & work together, united to
achieve their aims. The shared experiences & events these women had to face over time
contributed to the formation of their characteristics & identity.
The radical tactics & methods of the suffragettes were ways in which they expressed their
identity as a determined women’s suffrage group. Suffragette members believed in the motto
‘Deeds not words’, & realised that to make their cause & voices herd, their behaviour would
have to be bad enough to get them sent to prison. Suffragettes staged riots, demonstrations &
baazars. Members would make protest speeches at parliament while others linked arms to
protect them. Suffragettes would hit & spit at policemen trying to arrest them, they would
verbally abuse, & use threats, intending to disrupt peace. When sent to prison many
suffragettes would go on hunger strikes, refusing to eat anything given to them. The
government soon became concerned with these hunger strikes, not wanting a death on their
hands & so began to force feed suffragettes. Once news of this leaked to the press, there was
a public outcry & force feeding was then stopped. The hunger strikes gaining huge publicity
for the suffragettes. The ‘pestering’ of politicians has another method used by suffragettes
members would be deliberately interrupt, ridicule & humiliate politicians outside parliament
whenever possible, intending to insult. The many radical & extreme methods used by the
suffragettes was a way of expressing their identity as an extremely determined & serious
women’s suffrage group.
The colours worn by the suffragettes was another way in which they expressed their identity.
The colours of white, green & purple were chosen to represent the suffragettes WSPU
organisation with white representing purity, green hope for the future & purple for dignity
suffragettes on ‘active service’ wore these colours when & whenever possible. These three
colours were worn with pride by all suffragette members. Suffragettes had many shops in
towns all over Britain, selling a wide range of items from Jewellery to marmalade, which
were packaged in these three colours. White, green & purple, representing everything the
suffragettes stood for were worn by all members as an expression of identity as a determined
& hopeful woman’s suffrage group.
The campaign style of the suffragettes was another way in which they expressed their identity
through their actions. The suffragettes intended to ‘rouse’ the nation in order for their cause
to be recognised. “Suffragette scouts” on bikes were sent to rouse the suburbs, dinner hour
meetings were held along with door-to-door canvassing to gain as much support as possible.
The suffragettes had a ‘votes for women’ section the weekly newspaper where members could
submit columns to be featured. The suffragettes were extremely resourceful in their campaign
using chalk to write notices of meetings on pavements. Why pay for a printer’s bill if chalk
was just as effective? Meetings, speeches & exhibitions were held outside even in the rain.
The suffragettes also accepted donations of jewellery & collections of money were accepted
in order to raise funds for their cause. Every cent raised by the suffragettes was spent on only
components vital for their cause.
The suffragettes arranged for “speakers classes” & also judo lessons in order to repel hooligan
attacks. The flamboyant campaign style of the suffragettes was a way in which they
expressed their hardworking, determined & resourceful identity.
Events & factors such as the Industrial Revolution, British culture, the slow passive progress
of the suffragists & the shared experiences of the suffragettes were all contributing factors &
components in the shaping & formation of the identity of the suffragettes. Their radical &
extreme tactics, the colours they wore & their flamboyant campaign style were all ways &
actions the suffragettes took to express their identity as a determined, hardworking & serious
woman’s suffrage group.