# Women's Social and Political Union is founded (1903)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1903-women-s-social-and-political-union-is-founded
Categories: main-event

Emmeline Pankhurst and others founded the militant suffragette organization in Manchester. Within the broader Early 20Th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at 1903 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The WSPU made votes for women a central national political issue through direct action.

## Why it matters
The WSPU made votes for women a central national political issue through direct action.

Ruler at the time: [Edward VII](https://english-history.com/rulers/edward-vii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Women's Social and Political Union is founded](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Women%27s+Social+and+Political+Union+is+founded&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Women's Social and Political Union is founded](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Women%27s+Social+and+Political+Union+is+founded)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)