But Women Died For Our Vote...
We are all familiar with the cause of Women's Suffrage. The stories of the Pankhursts and Emily Davison (who died in the name of the cause), but what few people know, is how men have fought and suffered for their right to vote. In fact, The Reform Act of 1918, which introduced votes for women also introduced votes for the remaining 40% of working class men, who until then had been unable to vote.
Way back in the 18th Century, less than 3% of the adult population were entitled to vote. On 16th August 1819, groups of people from towns all over Manchester and South Lancashire, comprising 60,000 or more, marched to St Peter's Field in Manchester. The well-known speaker Henry Hunt was to call for parliamentary reform and an MP for Manchester (many areas of the country were still unrepresented). On observing Hunt's enthusiastic reception, William Hulton, Chairman of Magistrates, called for Hunt's immediate arrest. Cavalry pushed towards the speaker's stand and sabres flew about in a panicked attempt to control the crushing crowd.
The massacre that followed became known as Peterloo. 15 people (men, women and children) died and up to 700 were injured.
Only in 1832 did the Great Reform Act grant the vote to male householders paying £10 a year or more in rent. This was still only 10% of the male population. And only following this Act did Manchester eventually get its first MP.
The Illustrated Empathy Gap is a website 'challenging public incredulity on the disadvantages faced by men and boys'. Their article on Universal Suffrage in the UK explains the suffrage movement as a fight for working class votes, rather than votes for women. Their graph is the best illustration I've seen on the subject.
When the 1918 act came about, many working class men were returning from the First World War and were now considered deserving of a vote. The vote was granted to all remaining male adults and women over 30. It is argued that many thousands of men had to die before this right was granted.
Ten years later all adult women were also given the vote.
So, although it is commonly believed that suffrage was unfairly withheld from women, it is clear that male working class suffrage barely preceded women's at all.
If we teach our girls that women have died for their vote, let's teach our boys that men died for theirs too.
Way back in the 18th Century, less than 3% of the adult population were entitled to vote. On 16th August 1819, groups of people from towns all over Manchester and South Lancashire, comprising 60,000 or more, marched to St Peter's Field in Manchester. The well-known speaker Henry Hunt was to call for parliamentary reform and an MP for Manchester (many areas of the country were still unrepresented). On observing Hunt's enthusiastic reception, William Hulton, Chairman of Magistrates, called for Hunt's immediate arrest. Cavalry pushed towards the speaker's stand and sabres flew about in a panicked attempt to control the crushing crowd.
The massacre that followed became known as Peterloo. 15 people (men, women and children) died and up to 700 were injured.
Only in 1832 did the Great Reform Act grant the vote to male householders paying £10 a year or more in rent. This was still only 10% of the male population. And only following this Act did Manchester eventually get its first MP.
The Illustrated Empathy Gap is a website 'challenging public incredulity on the disadvantages faced by men and boys'. Their article on Universal Suffrage in the UK explains the suffrage movement as a fight for working class votes, rather than votes for women. Their graph is the best illustration I've seen on the subject.
Ten years later all adult women were also given the vote.
So, although it is commonly believed that suffrage was unfairly withheld from women, it is clear that male working class suffrage barely preceded women's at all.
If we teach our girls that women have died for their vote, let's teach our boys that men died for theirs too.
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