Emily Davison (1872-1913) was an English suffragette. She was militant – and at times reckless – when fighting for the cause. Though her civil disobedience got her arrested, she was never deterred.
Emily Davison (1872-1913) was an English suffragette. She was militant – and at times reckless – when fighting for the cause. Though her civil disobedience got her arrested, she was never deterred.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, or reproductive control, these women created paths for change.
Today we’re talking about an English suffragette. She was militant – and at times reckless – when fighting for the cause. Her civil disobedience got her arrested, but she never got deterred.
Let’s talk about Emily Davison.
Emily Davison was born in southeast London on October 11, 1872. There weren’t many opportunities for young women in academia at the time. But, Emily was incredibly bright. She didn’t let money or society stand in the way of her education. She earned a scholarship to study at Royal Holloway College, but had to leave school when her father died. She then worked as a teacher to save up enough money to finish her studies. When Emily finally re-enrolled at St. Hugh’s Hall at Oxford in 1895, she wasn’t able to officially graduate. Oxford wouldn’t allow women to receive degrees until 1920.
This exclusion Emily faced in academia inspired her to get involved in women’s suffrage. In 1906, Emily joined the Women's Social and Political Union or WSPU. The WSPU campaigned for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom from 1903 to 1918. It was founded by suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and her two daughters, Christabel and Sylvia. The organization made a name for itself through civil disobedience and direct action. Three years after joining, Emily quit teaching for good and committed herself to the suffrage movement.
Emily was fearless. She threw stones, and committed arson. Sylvia Pankhurst described her as "one of the most daring and reckless of the militants." Emily's reckless got her arrested several times. While in prison, Emily, and other suffragettes would often go on hunger strikes. Sometimes it led to early release from prison.
In 1909, Emily threw stones at chancellor David Lloyd George's car. She wrapped each stone in a piece of paper containing her favorite slogan, 'Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.' This got her arrested again. While in prison, Emily once again went on a hunger strike. This time, however, she was brutally force-fed by the prison guards.
She later called the practice “barbaric”, and said the experience "will haunt me with its horror all my life…” To avoid being force-fed, Emily barricaded herself in her cell. The prison guards responded by flooding the cell with cold water. Upon her release, she sued the prison for mistreatment and was awarded 40 shillings in damages.
That experience in prison did not stop Emily's fight for suffrage. In 1912 she was arrested for setting fire to mailboxes. She again started a hunger strike and was force-fed. In protest to the force-feeding, Emily threw herself from a balcony. In total, she was arrested 9 times and force-fed almost 50 times.
Emily's rebellion came to a head on June 4, 1913, at the Epsom Derby. Thousands of people assembled to watch the race. King George V’s horse, Anmer, was in the lineup that day. With a violet, white, and green suffragette flag in hand, Emily pushed her way through the crowd onto the racetrack. As the king’s horse came around the final turn, it collided with Emily. The jockey, Herbert Jones, was thrown from his saddle and suffered a broken rib and concussion; Anmer fell, got back up, and finished the race alone. Emily's injuries, however, were fatal; she was rushed to the hospital and died four days later.
Emily's actions at the Epsom Derby were polarizing. Most media coverage in the days after the accident focused more on the jockey, Herbert Jones, than Emily. In the end, her actions that day did not raise awareness of the suffragette cause. Instead, it pushed some supporters away from the movement. While some historians today believe she intended to kill herself in the name of suffrage, others think the act was an accident.
The WSPU organized Emily’s funeral and thousands attended. Her headstone reads “Deeds not words,” the WSPU motto.
In 1918, women over the age of 30 in Britain were given the right to vote. On July 2,1928, 15 years after Emily’s death, UK Parliament passed the Equal Franchise Act, giving women over the age of 21 the right to vote.
All month, we’re highlighting resistors. For more information, find us on Facebook ad Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!