Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils analyse why it took so long for women to win the vote in Britain. They learn about the position of women in the early twentieth century, the campaigns for suffrage and the government's responses to these campaigns and women's contributions during the Great War.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain why it took so long for women to get the vote in Britain.

Key Notes

• Despite the growth in female political participation, sexist attitudes prevailed by the late 19th century.
• Early suffrage campaigns led to a Conciliation Bill; this wasn't passed due to Liberal fears about how women would vote.
• WSPU tactics split the suffrage movement and hurt women's chances of getting the vote as government attitudes hardened.
• WW1 was a turning point in the campaign for women's suffrage due to their war work and the need for a new franchise act.
• A good explanation of why it took so long for women to get the vote in Britain will examine long and short term factors.

Vocabulary To Learn

• suffrage: the right to vote
• long-term: occuring over a long period of time
• short-term: occuring over a short period of time
• stereotypes: the expectation people have of a particular type of person
• sexism: prejudice or discrimination, often against women, on the basis of sex

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The view that it was the work women did to support the war effort which gained them the right to vote.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Campaigns for women's suffrage Study Guide
• The contribution of women during WW1 Study Guide
• The government's response to the suffragettes Study Guide
• The position of women in the early twentieth century Study Guide
• The suffragettes Study Guide