Votes for Women – Everywhere: 1866-1928

It took 62 years of campaigning for all women to gain the right to vote in parliamentary elections on the same terms as men. From its beginning in 1866 the campaign was conducted throughout the four nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Although, as the site of political power, London attracted the mass rallies and protests for which the suffrage movement is remembered, both in the 19th and the 20th centuries the campaign was conducted throughout the entire country. Local suffrage societies were formed in major provincial cities, small market towns and in villages, much depending on the dynamism of the local enthusiasts. From 1905, a new, militant element – the ‘suffragettes’ – burst onto the scene, overshadowing the constitutional style of campaigning of the existing societies. In the years before the First World War many localities were able to support both a militant and a constitutional society. This talk will discuss the growth of the movement and suggest ways that a local historian may of uncover how – and by whom – the campaign was conducted in their area.

Elizabeth Crawford is the author of a number of books and articles on the British women’s suffrage movement. Particularly relevant to this talk are The British Women’s Suffrage Movement, 1866-1928: a reference guide and The British Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain and Ireland: a regional survey. She has been awarded an OBE for ‘services to education’.

Booking is open until Wednesday 8th October 12:00pm.

If your local society belongs to BALH, they will have a discount code for you to receive a £2 saving.