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Votes for Women

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How important were the activities of the Women’s suffrage movement in the decision to grant women to vote.
On February the 6th 1918 women over the age of 30 who were householders or married to a householder were granted the vote in Britain. This came after 60 years of suffrage campaigns. The women’s suffrage campaign was a powerful political force by 1914. There were 56 suffrage groups and two main bodies, whom of which were national - The suffragists (NUWSS) and The Suffragettes (WSPU). This essay will analyse how far the women’s suffrage movement was responsible for women being granted the vote by comparing it to other important factors such as the changing attitudes towards women in society, the part played by women in the war effort 1914-1918 and the changes in other countries. It can be argued that the activities of the suffrage movement in the decision to grant the vote for women was a big factor but their war work perhaps had just as big a part to play and the changes in other countries perhaps also just as big an influence. Therefore it can be argued the women’s suffrage movement was important in the decision to grant women the vote.
It is undeniable that the activities of the women’s suffrage movement in the decision to grant them the vote was important as they were always being spoken about and they were known nationwide. The two different groups had two completely different approaches to their cause. The campaigning methods of the NUWSS were ‘peaceful’ tactics whereas the WUSPU took a more aggressive approach to the matter.
The NUWSS campaigns of ‘peaceful’ tactics included things such as pamphlets, petitions, parliamentary bills and a persuasive campaign of meetings. The achievements of the NUWSS included reaching mutual agreements with the new labour party and winning the support of some trade unions. It can be argued that by the 1900s, newspapers had

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