Mark Henderson answered
All women over the age of 21 got the right to vote in England in 1928. However, a handful of women had been able to vote since the 1832 and 1867 Reform Acts, and property-owning women over 30 had been able to vote since 1918.
When did Women get the right to vote?
The militant arm of the movement had started to emerge in the early 20th century. Public demonstrations, hunger strikes and window smashing were common tactics used by the Suffragettes.
The violence ended with the onset of the First World War in 1914, although groups did continue to campaign peacefully. Contrary to popular belief, the militant tactics of groups such as the WSPU were counter-productive, and it was actually the work carried out on the home front during the war which gave the movement greater support.
When did Women get the right to vote?
- The 1832 Reform Act increased the franchise to include the wives of some very wealthy and influential men.
- By the end of the nineteenth century, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) had started to gain popularity.
- The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed in 1905 and began to introduce violent tactics to garner support.
- The vital work that women had carried out on the home front during the Great War was rewarded by the Representation of the People Act 1918 - which extended the franchise to women over 30 who met property qualifications, and to all men over 21.
- The Representation of the People Act 1928 was passed, which extended the franchise to include all women over the age of 21. This act gave women electoral equality with men for the first time in British history.
The militant arm of the movement had started to emerge in the early 20th century. Public demonstrations, hunger strikes and window smashing were common tactics used by the Suffragettes.
The violence ended with the onset of the First World War in 1914, although groups did continue to campaign peacefully. Contrary to popular belief, the militant tactics of groups such as the WSPU were counter-productive, and it was actually the work carried out on the home front during the war which gave the movement greater support.
