Emmeline Pankhurst: “Freedom or Death”

One of the most important figures in the fight for women’s rights in Great Britain, Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) promoted militant action, protest, and violence to achieve her goals. In 1903, Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). The group disrupted political gatherings, challenged British politicians who did not support women’s right to vote, and conducted public protests involving vandalism and arson. Under the motto “Deeds, not Words,” the WSPU’s actions helped to publicize their cause. On numerous occasions, Pankhurst and fellow suffragists faced arrest and imprisonment. Those imprisoned would continue their protests, this time by hunger strikes. Under Britain’s Prisoner Act of 1913 (the Cat and Mouse Law), women who were physically weak (from not eating) could be released only to be rearrested once they regained their strength. This law resulted in Pankhurst being arrested and released twelve times in one year.