Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst (c. 1913)
Emmeline Pankhurst (née Goulden; 15
July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a political act-
ivist and leader of the British suffragette
movement. Although she was widely criti-
cised for her militant tactics, her work is re-
cognised as a crucial element in achieving
women’s suffrage in Britain. However, histor-
ians disagree about whether she did more to
help or hinder public support
for
the
cause.[1][2]
Born and raised in Manchester by politic-
ally active parents, Pankhurst was introduced
at a young age to the women’s suffrage
movement. Although her parents encouraged
her to prepare herself for life as a wife and
mother, she attended the École Normale de
Neuilly in Paris. In 1878 she married Richard
Pankhurst, a barrister known for supporting
women’s right to vote; they had five children
over the next ten years. He also supported
her activities outside the home, and she
quickly became involved with the Women’s
Franchise League, which advocated suffrage
for women. When that organisation broke
apart, she attempted to join the left-leaning
Independent Labour Party
through her
friendship with socialist Keir Hardie, but was
initially refused membership by the local
branch of the Party on account of her gender.
She also worked as a Poor Law Guardian,
where she was startled by harsh conditions in
Manchester workhouses.
After her husband died in 1898, Pankhurst
founded the Women’s Social and Political
Union, an all-women suffrage advocacy or-
ganisation dedicated to "deeds, not words".[3]
The group placed itself separately from – and
often in opposition to – political parties. The
group quickly became infamous when its
members smashed windows and assaulted
police officers. Pankhurst, her daughters, and
other WSPU activists were sentenced to re-
peated prison sentences, where they staged
hunger strikes to secure better conditions. As
Pankhurst’s oldest daughter Christabel took
the helm of the WSPU, antagonism between
the group and the government grew. Eventu-
ally arson became a c