The right to vote and the role of women in the 1920s and 1930s
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can assess the impact the campaign for female suffrage had on the role of women in British society.
Key learning points
- By 1900, many women believed the ability to vote was essential to further improve the lives of women.
- Suffragists and suffragettes campaigned for the franchise for women using very different tactics.
- Women's contribution during the First World War helped women win the franchise in 1918.
- Winning the franchise did not immediately lead to a radical transformation in the status and position of women.
- Young women in urban areas began to challenge traditional social expectations for women during the 1920s.
Keywords
Franchise - the franchise is the ability to vote
Suffrage - suffrage is the right to vote
Suffragist - a suffragist was a person who campaigned for women’s right to vote using peaceful methods
Suffragette - a suffragette was a person who campaigned for women’s right to vote using militant, sometimes violent, methods
Flapper - a flapper was a more independent, fashionable woman who challenged traditional ideas about how women were expected to behave in the 1920s
Common misconception
Winning the right to vote in 1919 led to a radical transformation in the status and position of women in society in the 1920s and 1930s.
Although the Representation of the People Act of 1919 was a significant turning point, Britain in the 1920s and 1930s remained a very patriarchal society.
Teacher tip
Ask pupils to compare and contrast the role of women in the 1920s and 30s and the period 1750-1900 and to discuss the amount of change and continuity. Pupils could be asked to stand on an opinion line ('Significant change' to 'No change') and justify their positions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Middle class men were expected to earn enough to keep their wife and children in comfort; in return, their wives were expected to be like an ________ and devote their time to their families.
Q2.What piece of legislation prevented women from working more than ten hours a day in any place which employed more than fifty people?
Q3.By 1900, what fraction of all teachers were women?
Q4.Who found fame as a nurse during the Crimean War (1853-1856)?
Q5.By the end of the 19th century, work, like teaching and nursing, was considered to be a predominately female occupation.
Q6.Which of the following suggest that, despite improvements, women in the workplace were still seen as less important than men in the 19th century?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What keyword describes a woman who challenged traditional expectations of women in the 1920s?
Q2.In which year were married women finally recognised as individuals by the law instead of being regarded as the property of their husbands?
Q3.Match the keyword to the correct definition.
the ability to vote
the right to vote
a campaigner for women’s right to vote using peaceful methods
a campaigner for women’s right to vote using militant/violent methods
Q4.Who were the suffragettes led by?
Q5.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q6.How many female MPs were there in 1931?
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The right to vote and the role of women in the 1920s and 1930s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The right to vote and the role of women in the 1920s and 1930s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Thematic study: how has the role of women in British society changed? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.