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Home » Resources » Did You Know? » Suffragists or Suffragettes?

Suffragists or Suffragettes?

February 15, 2017 By Alice Janigro

Not long ago, Meryl Streep played Emmeline Pankhurst in a British historical film about women’s suffrage entitled Suffragette, directed by Sarah Gavron. While the 2015 film has wonderfully introduced women and men to the women’s suffrage movement, many still don’t realize that American women fighting for the vote, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, called themselves suffragists rather than suffragettes, a term widely used in Britain.

So, what exactly distinguishes these terms? What is the difference between a suffragist and a suffragette?

A suffragist, by definition, is anyone who advocates for enfranchisement, or the right to vote. It wasn’t until after African American men were enfranchised in 1870 that the term referred to women’s suffrage advocates, which it most commonly refers to today.

In 1906, British journalist Charles E. Hands coined the label “suffragette” to mock and diminish suffragists of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Founded by Emmeline Pankhurst, the WSPU used “militant” efforts to fight for suffrage including arson, hunger strikes, destruction of public property and even bombing, thus gaining them the new title. Adding the diminutive suffix, “-ette,” was meant to minimize these women and distinguish them from “constitutional” suffrage advocates, namely Millicent Fawcett, who relied on “non-militant” efforts including petitioning, lobbying and marches.

Members of the WSPU embraced Hands’s intended insult and called themselves “suffra-GET-tes,” with a hard “g,” to signify that they were going to “get” the right to vote. “Suffragette” was first used to distinguish advocates only in the United Kingdom. Later, some U.S. publications also used the term in reference to American campaigners for votes for women. But historically, “suffragette” was considered an offensive term in the United States, and, unlike their British counterparts, not embraced by the women’s suffrage leaders of the US. Instead, our leaders called themselves suffragists, which is the term we continue to use today to refer to those in the U.S. who fought for the vote for women. Whether it was the suffragettes of Britain or the suffragists of the U.S., the path for women to achieve the vote was long and hard on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the early 1900s, American and British publications, including The New York Times and Daily Mail, depicted “suffragettes” as unladylike and reckless. At the same time, they described “suffragists” as gentle and innocent, but vulnerable to joining their counterparts. A 1912 issue of The Boston Daily Globe depicted the two (right).

These unfortunate caricatures appeared to pit one group of women against another, even while their aims remained closely aligned.

Interesting articles from 1900s newspapers and other references:

  • “SUFFRAGETTES SUFFRAGISTS SUFFRAGEES.” The Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922): 13. Apr 09 1912.
  • “SUFFRAGIST OR SUFFRAGETTE.” The New York Times (1857-1922): 6. Feb 29 1908.
  • Dannin, Ellen. “Suffragettes No More – The Long Struggle for Women’s Equality.” Truthout. 30 Mar. 2014. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/22743-suffragettes-no-more-the-long-struggle-for-womens-equality 13 Jan. 2017.
  • Engel, Kerilynn. “Suffragist vs. Suffragette: What’s the Difference?” Answers. Answers Corporation, http://www.answers.com/article/1196837/suffragist-vs-suffragette-whats-the-difference 13 Jan. 2017.
  • Jones, Claire. “HerStoria.” HerStoria Suffragists and Suffragettes Comments. 23 June 2012. http://herstoria.com/suffragists-and-suffragettes-an-overview-of-the-votes-for-women-campaign/  13 Jan. 2017.
  • Perlman, Merrill. “Shades of Suffrage: -ette vs. -ist.” Columbia Journalism Review. 22 July 2015.  http://www.cjr.org/analysis/shades_of_suffrage_-ette_vs_-ist.php 13 Jan. 2017.
  • “Suffragettes and Suffragists.” Zion’s Herald (1868-1910) Mar 03 1909: 260. ProQuest. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

By: Alice Janigro, Tufts University student

Filed Under: Did You Know?

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Copyright © 2023 · Women's Suffrage Celebration Coalition · Site by Tech-Tamer· Log in

Suffragists Support #StopAsianHate

March 2021

Dear Suffrage100MA Community,

Suffrage100MA stands with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community and grieves for the eight victims recently murdered in Georgia, six of whom were women of Asian descent.  Carry the victims in your hearts, light candles for them, learn about their lives:  Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Ziaojie Tan, Delaina Yaun and Young Ae Yue.

The words of this song from the 1949 musical “South Pacific” are more applicable than ever:

You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

“You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” was a highly controversial song, but thankfully, ultimately included in the show. The song was written to address racism against Asians and all people.  The character Lt. Cable, a Caucasian man who has fallen in love with an Asian woman, is distressed by the prejudice against interracial couples and racism in general, sang the song after saying the words “…racism is not born in you! It happens after you’re born…”

James Taylor recorded the song in Nov. 2020.

We must work to end the racism that is “…drummed in your dear little ear…”

In 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans are up almost 150 percent.  Discrimination against the Asian community has existed in this country since Asians arrived in the late 19th century.  Asians faced discrimination against dignity and equality, and were denied citizenship and the right to vote until the middle of the 20thcentury. After the 19th Amendment was adopted extending the vote to women, discriminatory laws prevented Asian Americans, Native Americans and African Americans from voting for decades and today the crisis for voter accessibility is growing.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “In a backlash to historic voter turnout in the 2020 general election, and grounded in a rash of baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, legislators have introduced well over four times the number of bills to restrict voting access as compared to roughly this time last year. Thirty-three states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 165 restrictive bills this year (as compared to 35 such bills in fifteen states on February 3, 2020).”

Suffrage100MA is committed to increasing accessibility to the ballot and inspiring voters to exercise their right to vote by sharing the history of those who fought bravely, sometimes losing their lives, for decades and across centuries, to secure the vote.  Let us each recognize the power and importance of voting to express one’s voice

On behalf of the Suffrage100MA Board of Directors –
With deep appreciation to all of you for being on this journey with us,

Fredie Kay
Founder & President, Suffrage100MA