What will I learn about: why the Pankhurst family and the WSPU abandoned polite lobbying for militant direct action under the motto 'Deeds not words'?

Discover why the Pankhurst family and the WSPU abandoned polite lobbying for militant direct action under the motto 'Deeds not words'.

What will I learn about: Learn how the continuous dismissal of women's rights by politicians catalyzed the radicalization of the British suffrage movement?

Learn how the continuous dismissal of women's rights by politicians catalyzed the radicalization of the British suffrage movement.

What will I learn about: how the Pankhursts' charismatic yet dictatorial leadership style shaped the WSPU into a highly disciplined, military-like organization?

Understand how the Pankhursts' charismatic yet dictatorial leadership style shaped the WSPU into a highly disciplined, military-like organization.

What will I learn about: how the suffragettes strategically used intentional arrests and imprisonment to generate unprecedented national press coverage?

Find out how the suffragettes strategically used intentional arrests and imprisonment to generate unprecedented national press coverage.

What will I learn about: Explore the harrowing reality of the suffragettes' imprisonment, where their protests exposed the double standards of the justice system and resulted in brutal force-feeding?

Explore the harrowing reality of the suffragettes' imprisonment, where their protests exposed the double standards of the justice system and resulted in brutal force-feeding.

Rise Up, Women!

The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes

Diane Atkinson

★ 4.6 / 5(14 ratings)

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Biography & Memoir

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You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the fight for women’s suffrage involved far more than just peaceful protests, including secret underground networks and daring acts of militant defiance?
💡Have you ever wondered what drove thousands of ordinary women to risk their lives, health, and reputations in one of the 20th century’s most radical civil rights battles?
💡Are you curious about the secret tactics and personal sacrifices of the women who transformed a polite political campaign into a full-blown revolution?

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Key Takeaways from Rise Up, Women!

✓Discover why the Pankhurst family and the WSPU abandoned polite lobbying for militant direct action under the motto 'Deeds not words'.
✓Learn how the continuous dismissal of women's rights by politicians catalyzed the radicalization of the British suffrage movement.
✓Understand how the Pankhursts' charismatic yet dictatorial leadership style shaped the WSPU into a highly disciplined, military-like organization.
✓Find out how the suffragettes strategically used intentional arrests and imprisonment to generate unprecedented national press coverage.
✓Explore the harrowing reality of the suffragettes' imprisonment, where their protests exposed the double standards of the justice system and resulted in brutal force-feeding.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Rise Up, Women!

Mind Map

Rise Up, Women!

Origins & Frustrations+

The WSPU & Pankhurst Leadership+

Militant Tactics+

Prison & State Repression+

Violence & Martyrdom+

Impact of World War I+

Legislative Victory+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

Why did the Pankhursts and the WSPU adopt the motto 'Deeds not words' and turn to militant direct action?

A. They were inspired by the violent tactics of the Labour party.
B. They realized that politely lobbying MPs and proposing bills was easily ignored or filibustered.
C. The government explicitly challenged them to prove their dedication through physical combat.
D. John Stuart Mill advised them that peaceful protests were illegal under British law.

Question 2 of 9

How did the Pankhursts handle disagreements within the WSPU regarding their militant tactics and leadership style?

A. They held democratic votes to decide the organization's future direction.
B. They compromised by creating separate peaceful and militant branches within the WSPU.
C. They expelled dissenting members, maintaining strict, autocratic control over the movement.
D. They stepped down from leadership to allow younger members to take charge.

Question 3 of 9

What was the government's response when imprisoned suffragettes began going on hunger strikes?

A. They immediately granted them the status of political prisoners.
B. They passed a law exiling the striking women to penal colonies.
C. They instituted the painful and dangerous practice of force-feeding them.
D. They ignored the strikes until the women voluntarily started eating again.

Question 4 of 9

What was the primary purpose of the 'Cat and Mouse Act'?

A. To allow police officers to use plainclothes disguises to infiltrate WSPU meetings.
B. To temporarily release hunger-striking prisoners to regain their health before rearresting them.
C. To criminalize the act of throwing stones at government buildings.
D. To track down and deport foreign-born suffragettes like Kitty Marion.

Question 5 of 9

What tragic event occurred on 'Black Friday' in November 1910?

A. A suffragette bomb detonated in the Bank of England, causing widespread panic.
B. Police officers brutally and sexually assaulted hundreds of women who were marching on parliament.
C. The government officially outlawed the Women's Social and Political Union.
D. Emily Davison threw herself in front of the king's horse at the Derby.

Question 6 of 9

How was Emily Davison's infamous death at the 1913 Derby generally viewed by the suffrage movement at the time?

A. It was universally celebrated as a carefully planned WSPU strategy.
B. It was met with mixed reactions; some praised her courage, while others felt her reckless actions were counterproductive.
C. It was completely ignored by the WSPU leadership because she was not an official member.
D. It was condemned by all suffragettes as a betrayal of their pacifist principles.

Question 7 of 9

How did the outbreak of the First World War affect the Pankhurst family and the WSPU?

A. The entire family united in a pacifist stance and protested against the bloodshed.
B. The movement suspended all activities and the WSPU officially disbanded.
C. Emmeline and Christabel became fiercely pro-war and patriotic, causing a rift with the pacifist younger sisters.
D. The government arrested the entire Pankhurst family for refusing to support the war effort.

Question 8 of 9

Why did prominent anti-suffrage politicians like Herbert Asquith eventually change their minds about women's right to vote?

A. They were intimidated by the suffragettes' escalating bombing campaigns during the war.
B. They recognized women's crucial contributions to domestic industries and the war effort.
C. They were forced to concede by the terms of an international peace treaty.
D. They realized that granting women the vote would guarantee a victory for the Conservative party.

Question 9 of 9

Why was the reaction to the 1918 Representation of the People Act relatively muted among suffragettes?

A. It only granted the vote to women over 30 with certain property qualifications, and the trauma of the war overshadowed the victory.
B. It completely excluded women from voting in national elections, only allowing them to vote in local elections.
C. It required women to give up their jobs in order to register to vote.
D. It was immediately challenged and overturned by the House of Lords.

Rise Up, Women! — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2The Pankhurst family started championing women's suffrage rights in early twentieth-century Britain.
3Pankhurst and her daughters were charismatic, yet controversial, leaders of the WSPU.
4Women’s prison protests resulted in cruel, brutal treatment.
5Suffragettes saw property damage as an effective way to incite arrests and gain publicity.
6Violence wasn’t a one-sided affair, and suffragettes were just as likely to be its victims often too.
7Emily Davison’s notorious suicide drew mixed reactions from members within the movement.
8The First World War transformed both the movement and society’s attitudes toward women.
9The 1918 Representation of the People Act was the initial step along the path to full suffrage for women.

Rise Up, Women! Summary & Overview

Rise Up, Women! (2018) tells the remarkable story of the militant women’s suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. Full of fascinating insights into the women at the heart of the struggle for equality, these blinks illuminate one of the twentieth century’s first great civil rights revolutions.

Who Should Listen to Rise Up, Women!?

History buffs
Feminists
Activists

About the Author: Diane Atkinson

Diane Atkinson is a writer who regularly lectures on the suffragettes. A consultant on the 2015 film Suffragette, she has also worked with many documentary makers. Her previous books include Suffragettes in Pictures, Funny Girls and Elsie and Mairi Go to War.

Rise Up, Women!

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Rise Up, Women! — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Rise Up, Women!

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Rise Up, Women! — Full Chapter Overview

Rise Up, Women! Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Rise Up, Women!?

About the Author: Diane Atkinson

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