Adult Suffrage Society facts for kids
The Adult Suffrage Society was a group in the United Kingdom that wanted to give all adults the right to vote. This was during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unlike some other groups, the Adult Suffrage Society believed that everyone aged 21 or older should be able to vote, no matter how much property they owned.
What Was the Adult Suffrage Society?
This society was different from groups like the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was led by the Pankhurst family. The WSPU wanted women to have the right to vote, but on the same rules as men at the time. This meant only women who owned property could vote.
The Adult Suffrage Society thought this was unfair. They wanted "full adult suffrage." This meant everyone, including working-class people who didn't own much property, should have the right to vote. People who supported this idea were often called "adultists."
Key Leaders and Their Goals
In 1906, Margaret Bondfield became the leader of the Adult Suffrage Society. The society supported a new law called the Franchise and Removal of Women's Disabilities Bill. Sir Charles Dilke introduced this bill to Parliament on March 2, 1906.
This bill suggested that all adults should get the right to vote. It also said that women should be able to become Members of Parliament (MPs). However, the WSPU strongly disagreed with this bill. They felt it was a distraction from their main goal of getting votes for women on the same, more limited, terms as men.
The bill was eventually "talked out" in the House of Commons. This means that people debated it for so long that there wasn't enough time left to vote on it.
In 1907, Margaret Bondfield had a public discussion with Teresa Billington-Greig from the Women's Freedom League. This group had broken away from the WSPU. Bondfield argued that the only way forward was a law that gave all men and all women the right to vote, without any special rules. She wished good luck to those fighting for a "same terms as men" voting bill. But she also said, "don't let them come and tell me that they are working for my class." This showed her belief that voting rights should be for everyone, not just those with property.
The Society Changes Its Name
In 1909, the Adult Suffrage Society changed its name. It became the People's Suffrage Federation (PSF). Margaret Llewelyn Davies took over as the new leader of this group.
