Alice Clark (historian) facts for kids

Alice Clark (born August 1, 1874 – died May 11, 1934) was a British historian and a strong supporter of women's rights, known as a feminist. She studied how women lived and worked in the past.

Alice Clark's Life

Alice Clark grew up in a family called the Clarks. Her parents were William Stephens Clark and Helen Priestman Bright. The Clarks were Quakers, a Christian group known for their peaceful beliefs. They were also famous for making shoes with their company, C. and J. Clark Ltd.. Alice had a sister named Dr Hilda Clark, who became an important doctor. Hilda was an expert in treating a lung disease called tuberculosis.

Alice went to the London School of Economics (LSE). There, she studied history with her teacher, Lilian Knowles. Alice Clark researched how women worked in England during the 1500s. She found that women were very involved in farming and many different jobs. Homes were often places where goods were made, and women played a big part in running farms and some businesses. Their important economic roles gave them a kind of equality with their husbands.

However, Alice Clark believed that things changed in the 1600s as capitalism grew. Capitalism is an economic system where businesses are owned by private people, not the government. This led to more division of labor. Husbands often took paid jobs outside the home. Wives were then left with unpaid housework. Middle-class women were expected to stay home and supervise servants. Women from poorer families had to take low-paying jobs. Alice Clark argued that this growth of capitalism actually made things worse for women.

Fighting for Women's Rights

The Clark family was very active in the movement for women's voting rights, called suffrage. In early 1913, Alice Clark joined the main committee of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). This group worked peacefully to get women the right to vote.

The NUWSS organized a long journey called a suffrage pilgrimage. It lasted six weeks and ended with a big meeting in Hyde Park, London. Alice carried a special banner for the Street Women’s Suffrage group. Her sister Esther had made this banner.

Selected Works

• Working life of women in the seventeenth century, 1916

See also

In Spanish: Alice Clark para niños