Hello and thanks for joining me today.

My name is Mrs. Knox and I'm here to guide you through all of the resources and materials that you'll need to be successful with your learning objective.

So let's begin.

So welcome to today's lesson, which is part of our unit of work on the women's suffrage movement.

We were asking the question, why did it take so long for women to get the right to vote in Britain? Now in today's lesson, we'll be looking at the position of women in the early 20th century, and by the end of the lesson you'll be able to explain why women were unable to vote at the beginning of the 20th century, despite their contributions to political movements.

Now, there are some key vocabulary that will be useful in our lesson today.

The words that will be useful are political, meaning relating to government, franchise, which is the ability to vote, legal rights, which are entitlements that are enshrined in the law relating to government, and suffrage, which is the right to vote.

There will be three parts to our lesson today, and we're going to start now with part one, which is the growth of the franchise in the 19th century.

There had been several important developments to the franchise in Britain in the 19th century.

These included the Great Reform Act of 1832, the Second Reform Act of 1867, and the Third Reform Act.

The Great Reform Act of 1832 increased the franchise to one in five men, as men whose homes had a lease of 10 pounds or more per year now had the right to vote.

This gave the vote to middle-class men, but it disappointed working class men who still could not vote.

In the 1840s, this led to a campaign called the Chartist movement, which argued that every man over the age of 21 should have a vote.

Although some women were involved in the campaign, there was still no suggestion that women should also be allowed the franchise.

The Second Reform Act of 1867 brought about further reforms to the political system in Britain.

This act increased the number of voters to 2.

5 million and allowed skilled urban workers who rented, rather than owned property, to vote.

However, the middle class still had control over political power and women remained excluded from franchise.

Finally, the Third Reform Act of 1884, extended male suffrage further, with two outta three men now able to vote.

However, the least skilled and the poorest men still could not vote.

And in addition, women were still excluded from the political process, despite the creation of organisations and campaigns from the 1860s onwards, which called for female suffrage.

So now that we've heard about some of the developments in the voting rights in Britain in the 19th century, let's make sure our understanding is secure.

So let's answer this question.

How many men in Britain had the franchise by 1884? Was it one in ten, was it one in five, or was it two in three? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was C, two in three men could vote in Britain by 1884, thanks to the Third Reform Act, but it still left out all women and the poorest of men.

Okay, now I'd like you to answer this question.

Is it true or false? The Third Reform Act gave the majority of men the right to vote.

Pause the video, think about your answer, and press play when you're ready.

Well done if you said true, the majority of men did have the right to vote after the Great Reform Act.

Why is the answer true? Is it because A, after the Third Reform Act, just over 60% of male householders over the age of 21 had the vote, or B, after the Third Reform Act, even the poorest men had the right to vote? Pause the video and press play when you're ready.

Well done if you said A.

The reason it's true is that after the Third Reform Act, just over 60% of male householders over the age of 21 had the right to vote.

Of course, the poorest men couldn't vote and no women could vote.

Okay, we're ready to put your knowledge into practise.

I'd like you to match each of the changes to Britain's political system with a relevant description.

So on the left hand side you have the Reform Acts, and on the right hand side you have the relevant descriptions.

Press pause, and when you've finished, press play, and I'll review the answers.

Alright, let's see how you got on.

For the 1832 Reform Act, you should have said it extended the franchise to include middle-class men for the first time.

The 1867 Reform Act extended the franchise to 2.

5 million men, and that leaves the 1884 Reform Act, which extended the franchise to two in three men, including skilled working-class men.

Well done if you've got all of those correct.

So now we're ready to move on to the second part of today's lesson where we will focus on why women were excluded, starting with the role and status of women in Victorian Britain.

Now understanding Victorian attitudes towards women is important in explaining why women were excluded from voting.

These attitudes limited the role that women were able to play in the workplace, the family, and the wider society.

So let's look at the legal rights and status of women in Victorian Britain.

The Victorians placed enormous value on families, seeing them as essential to a stable society.

Queen Victoria, with her successful marriage to Prince Albert and nine children, provided the ideal model of family life.

Unmarried women were viewed as failures and a source of pity, as they were unable to fulfil their natural roles as wives and mothers.

The phrase a woman's place is in the home sums up the commonly held belief at the time.

Okay, let's quickly check our understanding of Victorian families.

Let's answer this question.

Where was a woman's natural place said to be in Victorian Britain? Was it A, in the garden, B, in the home, or C, in the office? Pause the video and press play when you're ready.

Yes, that's right.

The answer is B, in the home.

In Victorian Britain, family's very important and women were encouraged to be in the home.

Okay, let's go on to have a look at the educational opportunities for Victorian women.

The educational opportunities for women in Victorian Britain were also limited.

It was believed that too much education might scare off potential husbands for middle-class women.

As for working class women, they would likely be entering unskilled jobs, such as domestic service or factory work, and therefore education was deemed unnecessary.

Although there were some developments in educational opportunities in the late 19th century, such as the enrollment of women at universities, voting rights remained the reserve of men by the end of the Victorian Era.

In the painting, you can see an image of some Victorian middle-class girls.

Victorian middle-class girls were expected to learn skills, such as playing the piano or flower arranging.

They weren't expected to have academic careers.

Let's test our understanding once more.

Which ideas were believed to dominate female minds in the Victorian period? Is it A, careers and fashion, B, marriage and motherhood, or C, politics and religion? Pause the video and press play when you're ready for the answer.

Yes, well done if you said the answer is B, marriage and motherhood were the ideas that were said to dominate female minds in the Victorian period.

Another reason women were excluded from voting was due to their role in the workforce.

Many working-class women had to work in factories, where they experienced long hours, low pay, and sometimes brutal treatment from male overseers.

These women generally earned less than half of a man's wage.

This is because in 1850, men were regarded as the head of the family and the main breadwinner or wage earner.

A woman's lack of education and skill was used to protect men's jobs and used as a reason to deny women political power.

Not only were women unable to vote, but they were also unable to stand to become members of parliament.

This meant they were unable to push for change.

Alright, let's have another check of your understanding.

Is it true or false? Middle-class women worked in factories doing low-paid jobs.

Have a think, press pause, and then press play when you're ready to hear the answer.

If you said false, then you are correct.

Middle-class women did not work in factories doing low-paid jobs.

Why is false the answer? Justify.

Is it A, middle-class women tended to stay in the home, with their focus on marrying well, or is it B, middle-class women worked in factories and were highly paid? Press pause, and then press play when you're ready to hear the answer.

Yes, well done if you said that middle-class women tended to stay in the home, with their focus on marrying well, and therefore middle-class women did not work in factories doing low-paid jobs.

A final reason why women did not have political rights in Britain is that they also had very few legal rights.

For example, a married woman had no rights before the law.

All of her property, her wages, even the children, belonged to her husband, and in many occupations, women had to leave their jobs when they got married.

Divorce was almost impossible and could only be granted by an Act of Parliament, and then women had to prove cruelty had been inflicted on them.

Suffering in silence was common, and being excluded from the franchise was just another feature of the low legal status that women occupied.

Alright, let's have another test of your understanding.

Is it true or is it false? It was easy for Victorian women to get divorced.

Press pause, and then press play when you're ready for the answer.

Well done if you said false.

Actually, it was very difficult for women to get divorced in Victorian times.

Why was that? Let's justify our answer.

Is it A, because divorces could only be granted by an Act of Parliament, or is it B, divorces could only be granted if the Church allowed it? Press pause, and then press play when you're ready for the answer.

Well done if you said A, yes, divorces could only be granted by an Act of Parliament.

Alright, it's now time to put what you've learned into practise.

Let's try this question.

Explain two reasons why the status of women in Victorian Britain prevented them from gaining the franchise.

You should try to write one paragraph for each reason.

Pause the video now, and when you've finished your answer, you can press play, and I'll go through some possible answers.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope you got on well with that.

Here's what you might have included in your answer.

One reason why Victorian women did not gain the franchise was their lack of education.

It was believed that working-class girls would not require education as they would find work as domestic servants or unskilled jobs in factories.

Middle-class girls also had a limited education as they were expected to become stay-at-home wives and mothers.

This allowed women to be excluded from the political system as it could be argued they lacked the understanding needed.

A second reason why women did not gain the franchise was because they also lacked legal rights in the Victorian period.

Married women had no rights before the law and all property and wages belonged to their husbands.

Women were not allowed to become Members of Parliament or hold public office.

This made it difficult for women to have their voices heard or for them to bring about change.

Finally, let's go on to the last part of today's lesson, which is going to focus on the changing attitudes towards women by 1914.

By the beginning of the 20th century, there had been significant changes in attitudes towards women, partly as a result of Acts of Parliament.

For instance, the 1870 Education Act made education compulsory for all boys and girls aged 5 to 12.

This was important, as it established the idea that education was for everyone.

However, it is worth noting that boys and girls were taught different subjects, and working-class girls especially received a very basic education.

Similarly, the 1882 Married Women's Property Act allowed married women to own and control property in their own right.

This was important because it recognised women as separate citizens from their husband for the first time, and many of the women who fought for this law later went on to campaign for women's suffrage.

A further step for women's right was the 1894 Local Government Act.

This allowed women to vote in local council elections and to stand for office.

The greater involvement of women in politics started to make more people question why women were excluded from voting.

Okay, let's have a check of your understanding.

Do you agree with Izzy's opinion? Yes or no? Izzy's opinion is it looked more likely that women would gain the franchise by the early 20th century.

Have a think about your view, pause the video, and when you're ready, press play and I'll go through one possible answer.

You might have decided to support Izzy's view, but you don't have to.

If someone did want to support Izzy's view, what piece of evidence could they use to support her statement? A, women's legal rights had increased by 1914, or B, women's legal rights had decreased by 1914.

Press pause, when you're ready, press play and I'll go through the answer.

Yes, that's right.

You should have said that A, women's legal rights had increased by 1914, can be used to support Izzy's view that it looked more likely that women would gain the franchise by the early 20th century.

In addition to increasing legal rights, there were also several notable middle and upper-class women who challenged traditional attitudes about women and their capabilities.

As early as 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft had published a book calling for women to have equal rights with men.

Then in the 19th century, women such as Elizabeth Fry campaigned for the reform of prisons, and Dorothea Beale founded one of the first academic schools for girls.

Let's have a quick check of your understanding.

Which of the following women campaigned for prison reform? Was it A, Mary Wollstonecraft, B, Elizabeth Fry, or C, Dorothea Beale? Press pause, and when you're ready, restart the video.

That's right.

The answer is B, Elizabeth Fry.

Throughout the 19th century, women played a part in political action.

For example, in the abolitionist movement and in the 1888 Match Girls' Strike.

Women who played a part in the abolitionist campaign against slavery, include Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who published poems about the plight of enslaved people.

Elizabeth Jesser Reid also actively opposed the slave trade, attended meetings, and signed petitions.

She attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840, although women were not allowed to participate.

Hannah More also joined a group opposing slavery and wrote about the wrongs of the slave trade.

They would later use similar methods to campaign for women's rights.

Here's a quick check of understanding.

Which of the following women attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840? Was it A, Elizabeth Jesser Reid, B, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or C, Hannah More? Press pause, and then when you're happy, press play, and I'll reveal the answer.

That's right.

The answer was A, Elizabeth Jesser Reid.

Additionally, during the 1888 Match Girls' Strike, the female matchmakers who worked in the Bryant and May factory in London went on strike for two weeks.

Their complaint concerned their low pay and the dangerous nature of their employment.

The strike was successful and they won higher wages.

In addition, a trade union was formed to work to improve conditions in the future.

This encouraged other women to push for improved working conditions too, and helped change the attitudes towards female workers by the early 20th century.

Okay, let's do one final check of your understanding.

Which two statements are correct? A, by 1914, women have gained equal pay rights with men, B, by 1914, women had greater protection at work due to their involvement in trade unions, and C, by 1914, women had made important contributions to political campaigns, but had not achieved suffrage.

Press pause now, and then press play when you're ready.

Welcome back.

You should have said that the two correct answers are B, by 1914, women had greater protection at work due to their involvement in trade unions, and C, by 1914, women had made important contributions to political campaigns, but had not achieved suffrage.

It is time to put everything that you've learned into practise.

Read Laura's opinion and decide how far you agree with her.

Try to write a balanced answer.

That's a paragraph on each side and a conclusion.

Laura's view is that the main reason attitudes towards women were changing by 1914 was because women had proven that they could play important roles in political campaigns.

To help you, you could include some of the following points in your answer.

You might decide to mention the role of women in the abolitionist movement.

You could discuss the 1870 Education Act.

You might want to mention the 1882 Married Women's Property Act or the 1888 Match Girls' Strike.

Pause the video now whilst you write your answer, and when you're finished, press play and I'll go through some ideas that you might have included.

Okay, welcome back.

So your answer might have included the following.

On the one hand, I agree with Laura that the reason attitudes towards women were changing by 1914 was because of the role of women in political movements.

Women such as Hannah Moore and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were involved in politics through the signing of petitions against the slave trade and through the publication of their letters and poems against it.

This was important because suffrage campaigners were later able to use the same methods in their campaign.

Their involvement also demonstrated women could play an important role in political life.

On the other hand, there were other reasons why attitudes towards women were changing.

There were now greater educational opportunities for girls as education was compulsory.

It could no longer be said that women did not have the intellectual ability of men.

In addition, women have successfully pushed for increased legal rights, both within the family and at work.

For example, women were now allowed to own property in their own right.

This success encouraged women to push further for the key political right, the right to vote.

In conclusion, although I agree with Laura that the involvement of women in political movements certainly changed attitudes towards women, it is also important to consider how higher levels of education and improved legal rights also increased the status of women in Britain at this time.

The combination of these steps forward encouraged women to push for further changes, such as the right to vote.

So we've come to the end of today's lesson in which we've looked at the position of women in the early 20th century.

Time to summarise what we've learned.

There were three different Reform Acts that had expanded the franchise to more men by the end of the 19th century, but no women had the right to vote.

19th century attitudes to women explained why the franchise was not extended to then, though women's legal position was slowly improving by the 1880s.

Some women were contributing to political movements and challenging traditional attitudes towards women.

Thanks very much for your work today.