Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

This isn't going to be that exciting, but i'm revising history (or supposed to be) so I thought i'd do it as a blog.

VOTES FOR WOMEN!!!

1889 - suffragists founded by Millicent Fawcett NUWSS (national union of women's suffrage societies). peaceful, used persuasion rather than violence.

1903 - Suffragettes founded by Emmiline and daughters Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst. WSPU (women's social and political union) millitant. Arson attacks, graffiti, axe thrown at prime minister etc.

Sylvia fell out with mother as she wanted votes for ALL women, not just middle and upper class women. Set up WSF (womens sufferage federation)

1907 - Qualification of women act, women could become county/borough councillors or mayors.

1912 - speaker refused voting bill. Suffragettes got really violent. Suffragists went on a massive march from cardiff to Hyde Park, 40,000 women i think.

1913 - Epsom Derby. Emiliy Davison threw herself under the King's horse (Amner) she died.
Cat and Mouse act to deal with suffragettes in prison going on hunger strikes. This meant they were released until they were better, then re-arrested.

1914 - WW1 starts, campaign called off. White feathers given to men who didn't join up.
During the war women took on men's jobs: bus drivers, coductors, munitions workers, coal miners, postal workers, farm labourers, engineering factories, nurses in military hospitals, sections of the armed forces. This proved women could keep the country going and were actually useful.

1917 - vote in the house of commons to decide whether women should get the vote. 385, for. 55 against

1918 - representation of the people act. All men over 21 got the vote. women over 30 who either owned a house or were married to a homeowner got the vote.

1928 - VOTE GOES TO ALL WOMEN OVER 21

YAY!!!
now for Liberal Reforms:

1906 - school meals act (free school meals), Workman's compensation act (employers had to compensate workers if injuries had been sustained due to work)

1907 - free medical checks for kids

1908 - old age pensions act (guess), Children's Charter (illegal for under 16s to buy cigarettes, beg or go into a pub. couldn't go to adult prison)

1909 - trade boards act (minimum wage set), Labour exchanges act ( Job centres - called labour exchanges funnily enough)

1911 - national insurance act. Part1 dealt with health insurance. Part 2 was about unemployment

The Liberals did this because:
1. they were worried about labour nabbing all their voters
2. During the Boer war over 1/2 the volunteers couldn't sign-up because they were malnourished. So in the event of a big war - we were stuffed.
3. Two reports (Rowntree's - yes the fruit gum guy - "poverty a study of town life" and Charles Booth's "Life and Labour of people in London") showed that one third of British people were living in extreme poverty. AND it wasn't their fault. (previously rich people believed it was your own fault if you were poor)
4. Lloyd George and Churchill (two main pushers for the reforms) wanted to make an impression.