A Study of the Women's Suffrage Movement in Nineteenth-Century English Periodical Literature
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PRINT AND PROTEST: A STUDY OF THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH PERIODICAL LITERATURE Bonnie Ann Schmidt B.A., University College of the Fraser Valley, 2004 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREEE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the Department of History 43 Bonnie Ann Schmidt 2005 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fa11 2005 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Bonnie Ann Schmidt Degree: Master of Arts Title: Print and Protest: A Study of the Women's Suffrage Movement in Nineteenth-Century English Periodical Literature Examining Committee: Dr. Ian Dyck Senior Supervisor Associate Professor of History Dr. Mary Lynn Stewart Supervisor Professor of Women's Studies Dr. Betty A. Schellenberg External Examiner Associate Professor of English Date Defended: NOV.s/15 SIMON FRASER UN~VER~~brary DECLARATION OF PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection, and, without changing the content, to translate the thesislproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. 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Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada ABSTRACT The journey toward equal citizenship for women in England during the nineteenth century was a complex one, characterized by many failures and some successes. This journey can be traced through the writing of women in periodical literature during the nineteenth century, with particular attention to periodical literature between 1850 and 1900, where debates over women's suffrage contributed to broader arguments about women's rights as citizens and the power that denied them those rights. Suffragist discourse in periodical literature was a conscious strategy used to negotiate increased political rights and influence middle-class opinion, but also one that failed to lead to obvious results. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of suffragist debates found in the periodical contributed to a growing awareness of the arguments for women's rights among the English middle classes, making the periodical a unique testament to the power of protest through print. KEYWORDS Women's Suffrage Movement, History, Nineteenth-Century English Periodicals Suffragists, Periodical Literature, Nineteenth-Century England Women's Rights, Nineteenth-Century Feminism, England ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Ian Dyck for his guidance during the preparation of this thesis. His instructive comments, helpful suggestions and many thoughtful readings were balanced by allowing me the intellectual freedom necessary to complete this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Mary Lynn Stewart and Dr. Betty A. Schellenberg for their insightful comments and challenging questions. Their perspectives enabled me to produce a final product that would not have been possible had I been left to my own devices. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada made it possible for me to pursue my studies without distraction with a Canada Graduate Scholarship, for which I am grateful. I am also grateful to Dr. Jack Gaston who first introduced me to the Victorians and who encouraged me to pursue graduate studies in history, and to Dr. Sylvie Murray whose example as a historian and academic inspires me. Both are friends and mentors who have unhesitatingly offered encouragement and support throughout my academic career. In addition, I would like to thank the library staff at the University College of the Fraser Valley. I am particularly indebted to Paula Brennan from Interlibrary Loans who located and obtained copies of the majority of the periodical literature used for this research. The library staff at Simon Fraser University was helpful in ordering additional copies of primary material as my research evolved, and Penny Simpson's artistic eye gave the finished product panache. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the support of my friends who prayed for me and encouraged me, especially when I felt overwhelmed. I would also like to thank my family, particularly Twyla and Peter, for their support and understanding. I especially want to thank my Dad, Howard Reilly, for not thinking it strange that his daughter would want to return to school at mid-life, and for teaching me that education is always the best road to self-improvement. DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my grandchildren Naomi and Karsten with the hope that they will never take their right to vote in a democratic society lightly or for granted. It is also dedicated to my husband Vic who unfailingly encourages me to achieve my goals and makes it possible for me to pursue my dreams. TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ................................................................................................................. ii ... Abstract ................................................................................................................. 111 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. iv Dedication ........................................................................................................... v Table of Contents................................................................................................. vi Prologue ............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One ......................................................................................................... 6 Pioneers: Eighteenth-Century Forerunners of the Women's Suffrage Movement ............................................................................ -6 Chapter Two ....................................................................................................... 31 Groundwork: Middle-class Feminists, Intellectuals and Women's Suffrage in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century ..........................31 Chapter Three ..................................................................................................... 55 Strategies: Middle-class Women and the Women's Suffrage Campaign at the End of the Nineteenth Century ...............................55 Chapter Four ...................................................................................................... -80 Hindsight: Writing the History of the Women's Suffrage Movement ......... 80 Epilogue ............................................................................................................ 103 Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 108 Primary Sources ...................................................................................... 108 Articles ............................................................................................ 108 Books .............................................................................................. 110 Secondary Sources ................................................................................. II I Articles ............................................................................................ 111 Books .............................................................................................. 113 PROLOGUE To those perched in the Lady's Gallery of the House of Commons much is visible. From them few secrets, whether of the head or of the heart, can be concealed. Beneath their searching gaze every bench lies open, every Member of the House has to run the gauntlet of their observation, and only one figure (that of the Speaker) is for them a veiled mystery. Grille The National Review, 1898 During the construction of a new House of Commons after a fire in 1844, debate ensued amongst parliamentarians over whether accommodation for ladies should be made in the new building. Previously, women had been allowed to peer down a ventilation shaft if they wished to catch a glimpse of the proceedings. It was decided that a ladies' gallery should be built, an innovation that included a large brass grating, or grille, as a compromise to those members who were opposed to exposing women to the workings of