How British Society Changed 1890-1918

Liberal Reforms Revision Timeline

1889-1902

Boer War, problem of national efficiency highlighted

1889

Charles Booth publishes his findings on poverty in London

1900

The Labour Partyformed

1901

Seebohm Rowntree publishes his book on poverty in York

1906

General Election – Liberals win, Herbert Asquith becomes PM>Free School Meals Act passed

1907

School Medical Services set up

1908 David Lloyd George becomes Chancellor of Exchequer>Old Age Pensions Act passed>Children’s Act passed

1909

Labour Exchange Programmes setup to help unemployed. Lloyd George’s ‘People’s Budget’ introduced (taxes rich to pay for welfare reforms)>Parliament Act passed

1911

National Insurance Act passed: 2 parts – >Sick Pay and >Unemployment Benefit

1912

Introduction of school clinics

Votes for Women Revision Timeline

1897

NUWSS formed (Suffragists), leader Millicent Fawcett

1901

Queen Victoria dies – marks new beginning for women

1903 WSPU (The Women's Social and Political Union) formed (Suffragettes), leader Emmeline Pankhurst

1906

General Election, Liberals win, Asquith becomes PM

1908

Women’s Bill dropped from Parliament – ran out of time. Direct action begins and Suffragette actions become more militant (smashing windows, chaining to Downing Street, arrests)

1911

Asquith drops Conciliation Bill giving women the vote, even though Parliament passes it

1912

Suffragette violence increases (arson, bombing churches, destroying valuable paintings, prison, hunger strikes)

1913

Cat and Mouse Act

Death of Emily Davison (June 1913), she becomes a martyr for the cause

1914

Suffragists membership almost 100,000, over 500 branches – more successful. WW1 starts, Suffragettes call off all militant action. Suffragettes start Order of the White Feather campaign.

1915

Munitions crisis (July 1915), women recruited to work in munitions factories. Many industries employ women to help war effort (1.6 million extra women workers help in war)

1916

David Lloyd George becomes PM, replaces Asquith

1918

Representation of the People Act becomes law, women over age of 30 who owned property were given vote (women vote for 1st time in December 1918 general election). Armistice signed (11/11/1918) WW1 ends.

1928

Full voting rights granted to all women

WW1 Home Front Revision Timeline

1914

WW1 starts (2nd August 1914)>Massive recruitment/propaganda campaign launched by Kitchener, Minister of War>500,000 volunteers by September 1914>Suffragettes start Order of the White Feather campaign>Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) introduced (8th August 1914), censorship starts>Stalemate and trench warfare begins, volunteers slow down by Christmas

1915

Munitions crisis (July 1915), women recruited to work in munitions factories>Coalition government formed to help with war effort >Lloyd George becomes Minister of Munitions

1916 Conscription introduced for all single men aged 18-40 (January 1916)>Conscription introduced for all married men aged 18-40 (May 1916)>Battle of Somme disaster, government & generals heavily criticised (July – November)>David Lloyd George becomes PM, replaces Asquith (December 1916) >Propaganda film, For the Empire, audiences reach 9 million by end of 1916

1917

Siegfried Sassoon’s war poems published criticising war leadership>German U-boats sink British merchant ships carrying food supplies>Voluntary food rationing