To remind us that not only women died to get us the vote

[trufflehunterthebadger]

But that many members of the Chartist movement were injured and 15 men killed by charging cavalry at the Peterloo Massacre while rallying for the extension of the franchise in 1819

I always feel sad that the significant contribution to our democratic rights made by the chartists is overshadowed by the suffragettes

I'm grateful to everyone who fought for my right to vote. I wish we didn't have be so uptight about it.

I'm in south wales, the chartists were drummed into me from infant school.

Suffragettes not mentioned at all, right through school. Weird.

I was also in Scotland, but in the eighties. We went into this mostly at O grade history, but if people didn't select that, then they wouldn't have covered huge chunks of it- it wasn't universal across the curriculum.

I have no idea what they teach these days, not in the UK and no school age children, so it's probably all a whole different ball game.

wellerr I couldn't quite tell if your tongue was as firmly in your cheek as mine was, but I'm pretty sure it was

What a strange thread

Mr Elbows said he might not vote last night. I instantly replied with "women died for your right to vote"! Ok maybe not but the idea's the same

The idea that he should vote and his vote matters (just incase anyone gets it wrong).

WellErr . Most UK people were disenfranchised if they weren't property owners or had a certain income until the late 18/early 19/20C. And certainly not if you weren't Protestant. Men were certainly ahead in the queue for enfranchisement. May be wrong, but I think property owning was key for UK women until Thirties? NZ women had a vote in 1893 .. Swiss women only in the ?1970s? Clearly the NZ women were feistier but going back to OPs question clearly had the support of the men. Perhaps because it was a more egalitarian society to begin with.

I agree with putting it in the wider context of emancipation for men also (this was how it was taught to me at school, starting with the Magna Carta) but then we also need to expand the rest of the curriculum to include women because often the suffrage movement is the only time women get a look in.

Battles and dynasty takeovers are interesting but they're not the only aspect of history worth studying and if girls were taught about the everyday lives of women in the past they would have some understanding as to why there are so few "great" women scientists, innovators, writers, leaders etc.

It would boost their confidence I feel.

Do you? There's a lovely big garden slap bang in the centre of my city dedicated to the Chartists.