Suffragettes - Awesome or Crazed?

Question

The Suffragettes of Britain burned down buildings, smashed windows, went on hunger strikes and threw themselves under horses so that women would recieve the right to vote. Did these tactics help or hinder the suffrage movement?

Answer 1

Defintely not "crazed" - burnt buildings can be rebuilt, smashed windows can be replaced, hunger strikers can be resuscitated, and broken bones can also be mended.

More "awesome" than "crazed" - since I respect those who fight against an injustice - be they men or women - and feel no need to degrade the women (and men who supported the Suffragettes) who joined the ranks of the Suffragettes.

Answer 2

Terrorist tactics always garner great press. What truly 'helped' the British Suffragettes, their American Cousins were much more docile, the British Suffragettes tended to be the well born daughters of the upper and higher classes and it was the sight of these 'pampered princesses' willingly donning coarse prison garb and enduring days weeks maybe months in jail via the new medium of news & magazine photos that gleamed sympathy & support.
If it had been 'poor' girls, for example Italian Immigrants who were the Palistanis of the era, if they had been bombing buildings and committing suicide attacks, then things would have gone differently. As it was the average Brit though maybe thinking "she has gone off the rails," also wondered what put them off the rails and in typical British fashion decided to give in, "oh well, they must have some sort of point to go to all that effort."
Crazed, yes, they were driven, definitely awesome in their efforts, but they did not know of any other tactic that would seize people's attention.

Pax--------------------

Answer 3

I don't think the violence got the women the vote I think it was because woman all over the world played such a big roll in Victory for Britain during WWI:

"Britain and Europe was plunged into World War One in August 1914. In a display of patriotism, Emmeline Pankhurst instructed the Suffragettes to stop their campaign of violence and support in every way the government and its war effort. The work done by women in the First World War was to be vital for Britain's war effort. In 1918, the Representation of the People Act was passed by Parliament."
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/suffragettes.htm

Answer 4

They got the vote eventually but mostly for there role during WWI and then you had to be 21.
In Britain in the last election 46% did not vote due mainly you can not tell the difference between the party's.
Just goes to show that for something someone was willing to die for now has no value.

Answer 5

It helped. If it were not for suffragettes, I would not have the right to vote!

Answer 6

See what it takes to get men to take you seriously?
I think it helped, it showed how determined our fore"mothers" were.
We Gen X and Y'ers are lucky even for the baby boomer generation's contributions to women's liberation.