Glynis Cooper

This dramatic social history follows the struggle for women’s rights in England from the Industrial Revolution to the Suffragist victory after WWI.

The 100 years from 1819-1919 saw remarkable change for women in England. From the early nineteenth century, when women were not even considered ‘persons' under the law, they achieved full legal rights and status. The doors of education and employment were thrown open to them, and by 1919, they won universal suffrage.

As workers organized in the North-West to demand better conditions in the textile industries, women formed their own groups to support the cause—and fight for their own rights. Blowback came in August of 1819, in the form of the Peterloo Massacre.

The brutality of that day brought attention to the women’s cause and encouraged them to continue the fight. Women became involved in reform groups, Chartism, trade unions, politics, education, career opportunities and the right to vote. Though they faced hostility from both men and women, their perseverance paid off for generations of women to come.

Pen & Sword History

A Century of Female Revolution: From Peterloo to Parliament

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