Votes for women: the first mass suffrage petition Video Lecture | How does UK Parliament's Education Service works? - Personal Learning

the eyes to the right 385 the nose to
the left 55 so the eyes have it the eyes
we have done it after more than 50 years
of struggle a battle centuries in the
making has been won we have earned the
right to put a simple cross on a piece
of paper women have won the right to
vote
my name is Florence Hill I'm old now but
the journey we have taken is still clear
in my mind it started with a small group
of women and a simple question you mean
should women be able to vote in a
general election well I really don't
know the Kensington Society discussed
and debated and decided that yes you're
right something should be done something
should be done but what if you could
collect one hundred names mr. John
Stuart Mill was a Member of Parliament
who believed in equal rights for all
races the poor and yes women if we had
sufficient support he agreed to fight
for us in the House of Commons and so a
petition was organized my sister asked
do you believe it will do any good
it must resume and however long it takes
how can it be right that half the world
has no say in how it is governed that we
women can run a home and bring up
children we can teach and do all kinds
of useful work but we cannot choose who
represents us in Parliament this
petition must change our country and set
us on the road of fairness and justice
for all
there was no time to lose
the message was carried across the land
and sea
some brave women sign despite their
friends or family's disapproval a woman
disgracing herself in Parliament Prime
Minister but our supporters were
deterred we needed 100 names we
collected over 15 and so the petition
went to Parliament the vote was lost 73
for 196 against so we've lost a vote we
haven't lost the argument justice is on
our side and so we fight on other groups
were formed across the country people
were becoming convinced but it was slow
hard work we needed a change in the law
and we women had no vote to bring about
that change over the next 52 years
Parliament received more than 16,000
petitions there were speeches marches
protests and debates across the lair
the nose to the left 55 so the eyes have
it the eyes we have done it what started
with a question and a humble petition in
1866 has led more than 50 years later to
a turning point in British history and
now it is election day and I am going
out out to vote
you