How Successful Was Protest in the 20th Century?

Select a course.

arrow_back

infoWhy this? The British women’s suffrage movement and the American civil rights movement show how people challenged entrenched political and social inequalities through organisation, persuasion, civil disobedience, and direct action. Comparing their aims, methods, opposition, and achievements enables us to judge when protest produces change and how it interacts with war, shifting attitudes, and political calculation.

scheduleWhy now? The preceding enquiry into women’s lives in Victorian society provides meaningful context for the demand for political equality, while earlier work on empire, race, and resistance supports the study of American civil rights. Bringing the two movements together develops comparative and evaluative thinking before the final local enquiry explores migration, discrimination, and activism.

The suffrage movement campaigned for women's right to vote in Britain.
Suffragists, led by Millicent Fawcett, used peaceful methods such as petitions and debates.
Suffragettes, led by Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU, used more militant tactics, including protests, civil disobedience, and sometimes violence.
Many suffragettes were arrested and went on hunger strike; they were often force-fed in prison.
The NUWSS's sustained peaceful campaigning kept women's suffrage on the political agenda and built support for reform.
The effects of WSPU militancy are debated because it attracted publicity and increased pressure for change, but it also alienated some potential supporters.
Women's contributions during the First World War helped to change attitudes by demonstrating their ability to take on important roles previously dominated by men.
Longer-term changes in women's social position, including greater participation in education, employment, and public life, increased support for women's suffrage.
Political calculations shaped the 1918 settlement because Parliament extended voting rights to some women while using age and property qualifications to prevent women from becoming a majority of voters.
In 1918, some women (over 30 and meeting property qualifications) gained the right to vote; in 1928, this was extended to all women over 21, making voting rights equal with men.
In 1928, sustained pressure for equal suffrage, women's growing political participation, and political parties' desire to appeal to women voters contributed to equal voting rights.
The civil rights movement fought against racial segregation and discrimination in the USA, especially in the southern states.
Segregation was enforced by Jim Crow laws, which separated black and white Americans in public life.
Key figures in the American civil rights movement include Rosa Parks and Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
Important events in the American civil rights movement include the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56), sit-ins, freedom rides, and the 1963 March on Washington.
Protesters in the civil rights movement often used non-violent resistance and civil disobedience.
The civil rights movement faced violent opposition but achieved major successes, including the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).

rocket_launchYou must be able to

Explain the difference between suffragists and suffragettes, including their methods and leaders.
Describe key events and actions taken by suffragettes.
Analyse why women's suffrage was achieved in Britain by 1928.
Evaluate the effectiveness of different protest tactics used by the suffrage movement.
Describe the aims of the civil rights movement and the problems it sought to address.
Explain the significance of key events and individuals in the civil rights movement.
Analyse how non-violent protest and civil disobedience contributed to change in the USA.
Evaluate the impact of the civil rights movement on American society and law.
Compare and contrast the suffrage movement and the civil rights movement, considering their aims, methods, and achievements.
Use evidence from both movements to support arguments about the effectiveness of protest.
Evaluate the importance of protest in achieving social change.

Curriculum Portal