Womans Suffrage - Subjective Conditions
1. Groups and individuals who claimed that there was a social problem that needed to be addressed or resolved
People
In Ontario, two figures of importance come out in 1876. Their names are Emily Howard Stowe, a highly succesful womans physicist and suffragist, and her daughter Agusta Stowe Gullan. However, the provinces that were more involved, were Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In Manitoba, Nellie McClung emerges. She first manages to put together a satirical play which showed the dangers of men being allowed to vote. The play was very succesful, and hilarious, and it was put on several times. It brought attention to Womans Suffrage, and effectively succeeded to win the women of Manitoba the right to vote. Their efforts suceeded to win the support of the Liberal party of Canada. Another important figure was Emily Murphy. She became the first female magistrate in the British Embassy. She was a very active Woman's rights activist, and worked with Nellie McClung to get the vote for the women in Manitoba.
Groups
In 1876, Emily Howard Stowe and her daughter Agusta Stowe Gullan begin the fight for equality. They found the first Womans Suffrage Group together, the Toronto Women's Literary Club. Then, in 1883, the Toronto Women's Literary Club joins with the Social Progress Club to form the Canadian Woman's Suffrage Association. Then, in 1912, the Manitoba Political Equality League is formed by Nellie McClung and a group of women. This group quickly gained support and eventually brought an end to Manitoba's struggle to win the vote.
2. How the social problem was described by the groups and individuals involved
The social problem described by the women suffragists was that it was unfair that women could not vote, while men were allowed to and to some, they chose rashly. Some women, such as Nellie McClung described the situation with wit. She declared that men were made for something other than voting, that if we allow men to vote, then they will vote too much. 'Politics unsettle men and unsettled men means unsettled bills, broken furniture, broken vows, and divorce. Men's place is on the farm....if men were to get the vote, who knows what would happen? It's hard enough to keep them home now!'. Nellie also stated that because people repeatedly told women that only 'nice women' didn't want the vote, they did not take action. The social problem described by people such as the Conservative Premier Roblin, was that if women suffragists gained the right to vote, then it would break up the home. He also stated that if womans suffrage really happened, it would be a retrograde movement, possibly meaning that it would be moving in the opposite direction of progress in Canada, seeing that it was a negative statement.
3. Individuals or groups who were held responsible for the social problem
In womans suffrage, there were quite a few individuals and groups that were held responsible. Firstly, the community itself were responsible for the social problem. Much of the sexism that was present at that time had to do with the way men and women as well thought about the situation at hand. For example, men would believe that women shouldn't be allowed to vote because that just wasn't the way things were done. Women on the other hand would have been told for their whole life that they were meant to care for the man, and take the role of the mother. Thus, it became a situation where the suffragists were starting something entirely new.
During the campaign of Nellie McClung from 1912-1915, there was one man who objected strongly to womans suffrage. His name was Rodmond Roblin. Nellie McClung created the play that convinced the liberals because her suffrage group wished to bring down Roblin, who was the Premier of Manitoba at that time. At that time, Roblin was accused of corruption, and in 1915, his government was brought down.
People
In Ontario, two figures of importance come out in 1876. Their names are Emily Howard Stowe, a highly succesful womans physicist and suffragist, and her daughter Agusta Stowe Gullan. However, the provinces that were more involved, were Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In Manitoba, Nellie McClung emerges. She first manages to put together a satirical play which showed the dangers of men being allowed to vote. The play was very succesful, and hilarious, and it was put on several times. It brought attention to Womans Suffrage, and effectively succeeded to win the women of Manitoba the right to vote. Their efforts suceeded to win the support of the Liberal party of Canada. Another important figure was Emily Murphy. She became the first female magistrate in the British Embassy. She was a very active Woman's rights activist, and worked with Nellie McClung to get the vote for the women in Manitoba.
Groups
In 1876, Emily Howard Stowe and her daughter Agusta Stowe Gullan begin the fight for equality. They found the first Womans Suffrage Group together, the Toronto Women's Literary Club. Then, in 1883, the Toronto Women's Literary Club joins with the Social Progress Club to form the Canadian Woman's Suffrage Association. Then, in 1912, the Manitoba Political Equality League is formed by Nellie McClung and a group of women. This group quickly gained support and eventually brought an end to Manitoba's struggle to win the vote.
2. How the social problem was described by the groups and individuals involved
The social problem described by the women suffragists was that it was unfair that women could not vote, while men were allowed to and to some, they chose rashly. Some women, such as Nellie McClung described the situation with wit. She declared that men were made for something other than voting, that if we allow men to vote, then they will vote too much. 'Politics unsettle men and unsettled men means unsettled bills, broken furniture, broken vows, and divorce. Men's place is on the farm....if men were to get the vote, who knows what would happen? It's hard enough to keep them home now!'. Nellie also stated that because people repeatedly told women that only 'nice women' didn't want the vote, they did not take action. The social problem described by people such as the Conservative Premier Roblin, was that if women suffragists gained the right to vote, then it would break up the home. He also stated that if womans suffrage really happened, it would be a retrograde movement, possibly meaning that it would be moving in the opposite direction of progress in Canada, seeing that it was a negative statement.
3. Individuals or groups who were held responsible for the social problem
In womans suffrage, there were quite a few individuals and groups that were held responsible. Firstly, the community itself were responsible for the social problem. Much of the sexism that was present at that time had to do with the way men and women as well thought about the situation at hand. For example, men would believe that women shouldn't be allowed to vote because that just wasn't the way things were done. Women on the other hand would have been told for their whole life that they were meant to care for the man, and take the role of the mother. Thus, it became a situation where the suffragists were starting something entirely new.
During the campaign of Nellie McClung from 1912-1915, there was one man who objected strongly to womans suffrage. His name was Rodmond Roblin. Nellie McClung created the play that convinced the liberals because her suffrage group wished to bring down Roblin, who was the Premier of Manitoba at that time. At that time, Roblin was accused of corruption, and in 1915, his government was brought down.