The Pains of Poverty and WHY WE ARE MILITANT

Jeanne Bouvier

The Pains of Poverty

Thesis: While Bouvier worked a 13-hour day and then the rest of the night so her family could survive, but even with this amount of work a family could barely make it in the economy of the time.

· Jean Bouvier (1865-1964)

o Worked in factories and domestic service and then in middle age she became a militant trade unionist and feminist

o Later in life she wrote several books, including her memoirs, from which the passages on the living and working conditions are taken.

· Began working at 11 years old in a silk-throwing factory from 5 in morning to 8 at night earning 50 centimes.

· Law in 1840 was passed to make illegal for children under 12 to work more than 8 hours but it was never enforced and that is why she worked five too many.

· Family too poor to pay their rent and sheriff’s office came for their belongings they were simply very poor and Bouvier describers how deeply ashamed she felt.

· After being forced to rent an old hovel Bovier now must also work after her 13 hour day in an attempt to help keep bread on the table but often their was none.

· Bouvier would stay up all night working and still be without food for days at a time.

· Her mother beat her when she would not receive raises and would call her lazy.

· Explanation for not getting the raises in the old factory was that the foreman was keeping the wage increases.

Emmeline Pankhurst

WHY WE ARE MILITANT

Thesis: Emmeline Pankhurst defends militant behavior for woman suffrage on the grounds that it is the final resort to advance their cause.

· Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) leader for woman sufferage

o Engaged in demonstrations, disrupted political meetings, and when dragged off to jail, resorted to passive resistance and hunger strikes.

o 1913 Emmeline carried her appeal to the United States, where she delivered this speech.

· Emmeline argues that the extensions of suffrage in 1832,1867, and 1884 were the direct results of the violence enacted for this cause, and the reason women suffrage which has more support than any other reform does not get it is because they were constitutional and law-abiding.

· Emmeline argues that the only justification for violence is the fact that you have tried all other available means and failed to secure justice as a law-abiding person.

· Emmeline counters the argument that people say they should to go their representatives by showing that as women they are voteless and unable to even get the ear of Members of Parliament, much less secure those reforms.

· Points out unfairness of the marriage and divorce laws

o Mother has no rights over her children

o A man can even bring a mistress into the house

· Women suffer the same industrial hardships as men.

· Points out men in other nations fighting for independence are given more sympathy than the women of their own country fighting for the same thing.

· Points out that men view woman as sub-human species.