TheStoryofSuffrage
Focus:BritainandFrance
10.1
Direc;ons:
•  Youwillbegoingaroundinlearningsta;onstodaytolearn
partofthehistoryofsuffrage.
•  Eachsta;onhasanumberthatcoincideswithasec;onof
yourpacketsobesuretofollowcarefully.
•  Withyourgroupyouwillhave5-7minutesateachsta;on
tousetheinforma;onprovidedatyoursta;ontofillinthe
guidednotessheetandanswertheques;ons.
•  YouMUSTreadthenotesaloudwithyourgroupduringthe
lastminuteateachsta;on.Youwillbegivena2-minute
and1-minutewarningtohelppaceyourselves.
•  Finallyinthelast5-10minutesofclasswewillreadthe
storytogether.
SeNngtheStage
•  Early1800s–onlyabout5%ofBri;shcould
vote
–  Limitedtomenwhoownedasubstan;alamount
ofland
–  Nowomenatall
1.TheReformBillof1832
•  1830–thewealthymiddleclass(manyof
whomgainedtheirwealththrutheindustrial
revolu;on)begantoprotest
–  Soughttoextendsuffrage:therighttovote
•  Bri7shParliamentbecameworriedaboutthe
revolu7onsspreadingacrossEurope
–  ∴quicklypassedtheReformBillof1832before
thingsgottoooutofhand
•  Extendedvo;ngrightstowealthymiddleclassby
easingthepropertyrequirements
2.TheChar;stMovement
•  Lowermiddle+workingclassmens;llcouldnotvote
•  Theystartedamvmt’àTheChar7stMvm’t:
–  B/ctheypresentedtheirdemandstoParliamentthrua
pe;;oncalledThePeople’sCharterof1838
•  ThePeople’sCharterof1838:
–  Calledforuniversalmalesuffrage
–  AnnualParliamentaryelec;ons
–  Secretballottoprotectthoseworkingonthewealthy
man’sfarm
–  EndtopropertyrequirementsforservinginParliament
–  PayformembersofParliament
TheChar;stMovement
•  ParliamentrejecttheChar;sts’demands
•  BUTàTheirprotestsconvincedmanyothers
oftheirvalidcomplaints
–  Con;nuedtofightfortheserightsandreforms
throughoutthe19thcentury
•  By1884mostadultmalescouldvote
•  Byearly1900sallChar;streformsbesides
annualelec;onswerepassed
3.TheVictorianAge
•  QueenVictoriaoversawmostallofthese
changes
–  1837atage18shecametothethrone,
maintaineda64-yearreignasQueen
•  VictorianAge
–  G.B.reacheditsheightofpowerandwealth
–  But,shehadlesspowerthanpreviousmonarchs
asParliamentassumedmostpoli;calpower
•  TheelectedHouseofCommonshadmuchinfluence
•  PrimeMinisterandthecabinetranthegov’t
4.WomenGettheVote
•  Thru/outthe1800smanywomen’sgroups
emergedinG.B.+theU.S.tofightfortheir
righttovote
–  Othersroseupinopposi;ontowomen’ssuffrage
•  MilitantProtests:
–  Ini;ally,protestswerepeacefulbut...
–  1903EmmelinePankhurstformedtheWSPU
•  Women’sSocialandPoli;calUnionbecamemilitant
WomenGettheVote
•  EmmelinePankhurst’sdaughtersChristabel
andSylviawereac;veintheWSPU
–  Theywerearrestedmany;mes
–  Usedhungerstrikesinprisontogaininterna;onal
aken;on(similarstoryintheU.S.)
–  Wereforcefedinprison,verypainful
•  InboththeU.S.(1920)andG.B.(1918)
womengainedtherighttovotealerWWI
SourceforWomen’sSuffrage
Ques;on:
“Bri%shpoli%cians,pressandpublicwere
astonishedbythedemonstra%ons,window
smashing,arsonandhungerstrikesofthe
suffrage<es.In1913,WSPUmemberEmilyDavison
waskilledwhenshethrewherselfundertheking's
horseattheDerbyasaprotestatthegovernment's
con%nuedfailuretograntwomentherighttovote.”
hkp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/pankhurst_emmeline.shtml
5.FranceandDemocracy
•  ParisCommune(radicalsocialistgov’t)lastedfor
3monthsinFrance(March1871–May1871)
alerthefallofNapoleonIII
TheThirdRepublicinFrance(1870–1940)
•  Replacedw/theCons7tu7onalLawsof1875
thatformedthefounda;onfortheThird
Republic
–  two-houselegislature
–  aCouncilofMinisters
–  Presidentw/powersresemblingthoseofa
cons;tu;onalmonarch
–  Lasted60years
6.TheDreyfusAffair
•  DreyfusAffair–Anexcep;onto19thcentury
forwardthinkingandreform
–  Illustra;onofthegrowingan;-Semi;smoftheera
•  1894:CaptainAlfredDreyfus(aJewishofficerin
theFrenchArmy)wasaccusedofsellingmilitary
secretstoGermany
–  Sentencedtolifeinprisonalerthecourtfoundhim
guiltybasedonFALSEevidence.
•  1896:Newevidenceprovedhisinnocenceand
showedhewasframedbyotherarmyofficers
TheDreyfusAffair
Publicopiniondividedoverthescandal:
•  Thean7-Dreyfusards:Na;onalists,an;-Semi;cgroups,
clergy+armyleadersrefusedtoletthecasebereopened
•  WorrieditwouldbringdishonortotheFrenchArmy
•  TheDreyfusards:Dreyfus’supportersarguedforthe
importanceofjus;ce
–  EmileZola:FrenchwriterpublishedanopenlekertotheFrench
ppl;tle“J’accuse!”(Iaccuse!)
•  ZoladenouncedtheArmyforcoveringupthescandal
•  Theseviewslandedhimayearinprison
•  1906–Dreyfusnamedinnocent
•  1995–Frencharmypublicallydeclaredhisinnocence
AlfredDreyfus
7.TheDreyfusAffairandZionism
•  SignificanceoftheDreyfusAffair:
–  Illustratedthean;-Semi;cstrengthinFrance/
WesternEurope
•  InEasternEurope:persecu;onofJewsvery
severe
–  ManyfledtotheU.S.
•  Zionism:
–  Mvm’tfoundedbyTheodorHerzlinthe1890sto
promoteJewishautonomyandanindependent
Jewishstate(Israel)
•  Notachievedun;l1948