Suffragettes or Suffragists?

Paper badge from the Kirklees Museums Collection. 

The women’s movement was not as unified as might be expected. Supporters were divided by class, political allegiance, religion and age. The biggest divide was between suffragists and suffragettes:

SUFFRAGISTS 

Constitutional suffragists used law-abiding methods to campaign for the right to vote for men and women. The largest women’s suffrage organisation was the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. They regularly petitioned Parliament and led peaceful marches and demonstrations.

SUFFRAGETTES

Suffragettes were supporters of the Women’s Social and Political Union that used militant or law-breaking tactics in support of their ‘Deeds not words’ campaign. The Daily Mail had coined the term ‘suffragette’ as an insult but the WSPU claimed it as their own to distinguish themselves from other groups.