suffragist

Everyday

(history) A suffragist was a person who campaigned for the right to vote (suffrage), especially for women, using peaceful and lawful methods such as petitions, meetings and marches. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons in the UK, suffragists (led by Millicent Fawcett, NUWSS) used peaceful methods, while suffragettes (led by Emmeline Pankhurst, WSPU) also used direct action such as breaking windows. In the USA, suffragists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton campaigned for women's votes, won in 1920. New Zealand was the first self-governing country to give women the vote in national elections in 1893, after suffragist Kate Sheppard's petition.

Examples

• Millicent Fawcett was a famous British suffragist. tree →
• The suffragists held peaceful marches and wrote petitions. tree →
• Kate Sheppard was a suffragist in New Zealand. tree →
• Women in the USA won the vote in 1920 after years of work by suffragists. tree →
• Suffragists believed women should be able to vote like men. tree →
• Some men were suffragists too. tree →
• Explain the difference between a suffragist and a suffragette. tree →

Note

Trap: suffragist (peaceful campaigner, man or woman) vs suffragette (a word mainly for the British women of the WSPU who used more militant action). "Suffrage" means the right to vote; it has nothing to do with "suffer".