Text Book Research

I used some school history text books to find whether or not the Suffragettes have been sanitised through education. What I expected to find, or indeed hoped to find, was that the criminal acts committed by the Suffragettes were not detailed. I had hoped to use this to prove that they had been sanitised, linking this white-washing of the movement to one perspective that this is the motive behind their pardoning.

What I found was that the criminal acts committed by militant individuals during the movement are in fact detailed. After finding this, I have a changed view of what I will argue overall. I  realised just how important these crimes were for what the movement achieved, and if this can be taught in schools then why are we trying to erase it in society?

Extracts from the text books:

The Twentieth Century World, Josh Brooman, Longman, 1995

Modern Times 1750-1990, Think History, Heinemann, 2004

In my dissertation, I will argue that none of the Suffragettes should be pardoned, as this discredits the crimes they knowingly committed. Pardoning them would just be a way of sanitising them, as I initially thought I would find in the text books. Although I did not find what I expected, I think it is still a valuable piece of research for my project, especially as it helped to shape my argument. I would still like to put forward a few individuals who are most suitable for a pardon if it was ever to be considered, but overall I would like to argue no to my question.

From here I would still be interested in finding ways the Suffragettes have been sanitised, as a way of supporting my argument that pardons may also be seen as a way of doing the same.