| 1792 |
Mary
Wollstencraft publishes Vindication of the Rights of
Women which raises the issues of women’s suffrage. |
| 1852 |
Florence
Nightingale wrote the book Cassandra that highlights the problems of women’s entitlement to education
- she decided not to publish the book. |
| 1857 |
The Matrimonial Causes Act allowed a husband to divorce his wife by
proving adultery. |
| 1867 |
When Benjamin
Disraeli's government introduced the reform bill it was hoped that the
vote might also be extended to women. |
| 1867 |
John
Stuart Mill raised the issue of women’s suffrage in the House of Commons. |
| 1882 |
The
Married Property Act was passed, meaning that a husband was no longer entitled
to all of his wife’s possessions and earnings. |
| 1883 |
The
Women’s Co-operative Guild is established. The organisation supports women’s
suffrage, also advocates Maternity Insurance Benefit and organises education
classes for women. |
| 1890 |
Clementina
Black wrote the pamphlet On Marriage where she explained why some women were unwilling to get married. |
| 1891 |
Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence
wrote My Part in a Changing World, which is about her experiences as a social worker in a working
class area of London. |
| 1897 |
The National
Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was formed. |
| 1903 |
The
more militant suffrage Women's Social and Political Union is formed. |
| 1906 |
The
largest women’s demonstration to date took place with 300 women involved. |
| 1907 |
The
First Women’s Parliament attempted to force their way into Parliament to
present a petition to the Prime Minister who refused to see them. |
| 1907 |
The Women’s Freedom League is
formed. |
| 1909 |
Elizabeth
Robins wrote an article Votes for Women, that criticised British marriage laws. |
| 1909 |
Suffrage
organisations use increasingly violent and drastic measures, such as hunger
strikes, to further their cause. |
| 1911 |
Millicent Garrett Fawcett criticised
the passed of the 1857 Matrimonial Causes Act in her book Women's Suffrage |
| 1911 |
A
Walsall branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was developed. |
| 1912 |
The
Walsall branch of the WSPU opened a shop and office in Leicester Street. |
| 1912 |
The
first advert for the Women’s Social and Political Union in the Walsall
Red Book appears in the 1913 edition, the adverts appeared every year until
1918. |
| 1913 |
On
24th February 1913
a Walsall WSPU stall was overturned by a hostile crowd. |
| 1913 |
Emily
Davison threw herself in front of King George V's horse and was trampled
to death. |
| 1913 |
The
Cat and Mouse Act was passed. The Act permitted the release of hunger striking
suffragettes from prison when they were on the point of death and their
re-arrest when they were partially recovered. |
| 1913 |
The
National Arson campaign began. |
| 1918 |
The
Representation of the People Act gave the vote to women over 30 who "occupied
premises of a yearly value of not less than £5". |
| 1918 |
Christabel
Pankhurst stood at Smethwick as the Women’s Party candidate, although she
was narrowly beaten. |
| 1928 |
The
Voting age for women was lowered to bring it in line with the voting age
for men – age 21. |
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