Mrs. Brown Is a Man and a Brother Women in Merseyside's Political Organisations, 1890-1920

• ISBN13: 9780853237488
• ISBN10: 0853237484
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-05
• Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Summary

This book offers the first detailed regional study of women's politics in the United Kingdom in the period before the First World War. Its purpose is to investigate how women's politics functioned at the grass roots, away from the schisms and personality clashes of the national political scene. The book investigates the membership, activities and campaigning methodologies of a variety of formal political organizations ranging from branches of national auxiliary bodies such as the Women's Liberal Federation through women's involvement in local branches of the Independent Labor Party and on to the autonomous suffrage organizations. The impact of the all-female suffrage campaigns on older political groups in which women still competed with men for positions and policies is also considered. The book extends into the First World War, and investigates the new alliance that were formed when earlier societies contracted or closed.

Author Biography

Krista Cowman is a senior lecturer in History in the School of Cultural Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
Introduction	1	(12)
Chapter One Introduction to Merseyside	13	(7)
Chapter Two 'The workwomen of Liverpool are sadly in need of reform': Women in Trade Unions, 1890-1914	20	(20)
Chapter Three Early Political Activity, 1890-1905	40	(25)
Chapter Four The Liverpool Women's Suffrage Society	65	(12)
Chapter Five 'A real live organisation': The Liverpool Women's Social and Political Union, 1905-14	77	(20)
Chapter Six Other Suffrage Organisations	97	(24)
Chapter Seven Later Party Political Activity, 1905-14	121	(18)
Chapter Eight The War	139	(25)
Chapter Nine Conclusion - The Erasure of a Way of Life?	164	(7)
Bibliography	171	(16)
Index	187