A study of the many changes in women’s lives in an English town over the course of a century. This book shines a light on women’s lives in and around the English town of Watford, in the home and at work, in traditional rural employment or in dressmaking, textiles, and the silk industry. The lives of local women are put into the context of the national movement to address inequality and injustice, highlighting the often difficult existences of those employed in domestic service; the impact of poor housing and terrible poverty on women; efforts to redress the situation; and changes in social hierarchy. Individual stories show that there were opportunities for women to take control of their lives, some excelling as entrepreneurs—owning shops, pubs, and other businesses. During this time of immense social change, pioneering women within the community set the example for others to follow, whether as political activists and suffragettes connecting with the feminist issues of their times or as prominent members of the community dedicating their lives to the needs of others. The region was notable for fostering the talents of numerous prominent artists, Lucy Kemp-Welch, the illustrator of Black Beauty and creator of many recognizable war propaganda posters being the most famous, and women in the sciences, such as Harriette Chick, who worked in the Lister Institute in Elstree. Also addressed in this book are the growth of education for girls, and how contributions during times of crisis—from nursing to wartime factory work—led to the reappraisal of the role of women in postwar Britain.

The suffrage movement remains the largest autonomous political movement of women in British history. The Routledge Companion to British Women’s Suffrage provides a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art contemporary scholarship on this movement. Arranged across four thematic sections, this volume explores the range of developments in suffrage research since the 1990s, combining a range of scholars’ unique insights to offer a much more complete picture of the British suffrage campaign. Each section provides a thoroughgoing overview of different approaches that have underpinned studies of the British suffrage movement, across disciplines ranging from history and gender studies, to literature, digital humanities, and sociology. Sections also explore the various aspects of the material cultures of the suffrage campaign, the variety of suffrage organisations, and the legacies of the movement. The Routledge Companion to British Women’s Suffrage is an essential handbook for those studying the history, sociology, and politics of the suffrage movement, with a valuable insight into contemporary developments in research.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED... ... what emotions really influence where your cross goes on the ballot paper? ... whether people are claiming to vote when they haven't? ... which party's supporters are the kinkiest in bed? In the run-up to the most hotly contested and unpredictable election in a generation, this exhilarating read injects some life back into the world of British electoral politics. Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box sheds light on some of our more unusual voting trends, ranging from why people lie about voting to how being attractive can get you elected. Each of the fifty accessible and concise chapters, written by leading political experts, seeks to examine the broader issues surrounding voting and elections in Britain. It is not just about sexual secrets and skewed surveys: it illustrates the importance of women and ethnic minorities; explains why parties knock on your door (and why they don't); and shows how partisanship colours your views of everything, even pets. This fascinating volume covers everything you need to know (and the things you never thought you needed to know) about the bedroom habits, political untruths and voting nuances behind the upcoming election. 'This book is such an utterly brilliant idea it is ridiculous that no one has thought of it before ... I cannot recommend it highly enough.' John Rentoul

British women who resisted their own enfranchisement were ridiculed by the suffragists and have since been neglected by historians. Yet these women, together with the millions whose indifference reinforced the opposition case, claimed to form a majority of the female public on the eve of the First World War. By 1914 the organised 'antis' rivalled the suffragists in numbers, though not in terms of publicity-seeking activism. The National League for Opposing Woman Suffrage was dominated by the self-consciously masculine leadership of Lord Cromer and Lord Curzon, but also heavily dependent upon an impressive cadre of women leaders and a mostly female membership. Women Against the Vote looks at three overlapping groups of women: maternal reformers, women writers and imperialist ladies. These women are then followed into action as campaigners in their own right, as well as supporters of anti-suffrage men. Collaboration between the sexes was not always straightforward, even within a movement dedicated to separate and complementary gender roles. As the anti-suffrage women pursued their own varied social and political agendas, they demonstrated their affinity with the mainstream social conservatism of the British women's movement. The rediscovered history of female anti-suffragism provides new perspectives on the campaigns both for and against the vote. It also makes an important contribution to the wider history of women's social and political activism in late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Britain.

A weekly review of politics, literature, theology, and art.

Law and Society in the South reconstructs eight pivotal legal disputes heard in North Carolina courts between the 1830s and the 1970s and examines some of the most controversial issues of southern history, including white supremacy and race relations, the teaching of evolution in public schools, and Prohibition. Finally, the book explores the various ways in which law and society interacted in the South during the civil rights era. The voices of racial minorities-some urging integration, others opposing it-grew more audible within the legal system during this time. Law and Society in the South divulges the true nature of the courts: as the unpredictable venues of intense battles between southerners as they endured dramatic changes in their governing values.