Introduction
Social movements within civil society can have a large impact on the governments of nation-states. These group action movements often consist of protests and lobbying, and are used by individuals to promote policy change related to specific interests or areas. This paper discusses the issue of women’s rights movements and the tactics used to promote change. More specifically, it will focus on comparing the women’s suffrage movements in the United States and Great Britain during the beginning of the twentieth century. Originally the tactics used by the British suffragettes were much more militant than those of the American suffragists, but Alice Paul brought back some of these tactics to the United States. Despite this, the American …show more content…
Activism for suffrage in the twentieth century was often considered “disorderly conduct,” as the women were not afraid to lobby publicly for change and have their voices be heard. This is in part due to the fact that Alice Paul, one of the key leaders of the later women’s suffrage movement, attended university in the United Kingdom where she met the Pankhursts, who were the leaders of the British suffrage movement. Upon her return to the United States, Paul and her fellow suffragist Lucy Burns employed these more militant tactics in the American suffrage movement. These women were originally members of NAWSA, but had grown tired of the more peaceful tactics the group was using, thinking that there was a more productive way to lobby for change. The two women founded the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage in 1913, a radical organization modeled after the British women’s suffrage activist group, the Women’s Social and Political Union. The CU actively campaigned for women’s suffrage and began to draw more attention from the United States government officials. This new, more public approach appealed to younger activists who were not afraid to use direct action, even with the possibilities of arrest. Their main tactic was to pressure politicians into supporting what would become the Nineteenth Amendment. Paul’s main target was President Woodrow Wilson, as she knew that once …show more content…
One of the most interesting differences in these movements was the fact that in the United States, the activists of the women’s suffrage movement chose the term suffragists, which is more gender inclusive, as the movement did have some male supporter. In England, members of the movement preferred the term suffragettes, as the movement was made up almost entirely of women - men were not allowed to join the WSPU. The term suffragette often has more negative connotations attached to it than suffragist does due to its connections with more militant tactics. Additionally, suffragists in the United States focused on legal and generally peaceful tactics to gain the right for women to vote, whereas suffragettes were not afraid to use illegal activities to achieve what they desired. Due to this, the suffrage movement in the US gained more public support, whereas the movement in the UK gained lots of interest, but less support than its American
Social movements within civil society can have a large impact on the governments of nation-states. These group action movements often consist of protests and lobbying, and are used by individuals to promote policy change related to specific interests or areas. This paper discusses the issue of women’s rights movements and the tactics used to promote change. More specifically, it will focus on comparing the women’s suffrage movements in the United States and Great Britain during the beginning of the twentieth century. Originally the tactics used by the British suffragettes were much more militant than those of the American suffragists, but Alice Paul brought back some of these tactics to the United States. Despite this, the American …show more content…
Activism for suffrage in the twentieth century was often considered “disorderly conduct,” as the women were not afraid to lobby publicly for change and have their voices be heard. This is in part due to the fact that Alice Paul, one of the key leaders of the later women’s suffrage movement, attended university in the United Kingdom where she met the Pankhursts, who were the leaders of the British suffrage movement. Upon her return to the United States, Paul and her fellow suffragist Lucy Burns employed these more militant tactics in the American suffrage movement. These women were originally members of NAWSA, but had grown tired of the more peaceful tactics the group was using, thinking that there was a more productive way to lobby for change. The two women founded the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage in 1913, a radical organization modeled after the British women’s suffrage activist group, the Women’s Social and Political Union. The CU actively campaigned for women’s suffrage and began to draw more attention from the United States government officials. This new, more public approach appealed to younger activists who were not afraid to use direct action, even with the possibilities of arrest. Their main tactic was to pressure politicians into supporting what would become the Nineteenth Amendment. Paul’s main target was President Woodrow Wilson, as she knew that once …show more content…
One of the most interesting differences in these movements was the fact that in the United States, the activists of the women’s suffrage movement chose the term suffragists, which is more gender inclusive, as the movement did have some male supporter. In England, members of the movement preferred the term suffragettes, as the movement was made up almost entirely of women - men were not allowed to join the WSPU. The term suffragette often has more negative connotations attached to it than suffragist does due to its connections with more militant tactics. Additionally, suffragists in the United States focused on legal and generally peaceful tactics to gain the right for women to vote, whereas suffragettes were not afraid to use illegal activities to achieve what they desired. Due to this, the suffrage movement in the US gained more public support, whereas the movement in the UK gained lots of interest, but less support than its American