Wheels of Change

In 1895 The New York World posted an article on the do's and don'ts for women in bikes. Many people claim that riding a bike was a big part of the women's liberation, it allowed them to move freely around, and it finally made an excuse for woman to get out of the corsets and skirts and wear pants.

The list is amazing, can somebody please tell me what a "bicycle-face" is??? And what has chewing gum got to do with anything? (BTW this was my last female-related post for now.)

Anti Suffragette Postcards

As expected, some people (and not only men) thought the idea of women voting was absolute nonsense. The Suffragettes were portrayed as angry, unattractive women. Many of the women protesting were arrested. Once arrested the women often went on hunger strikes, refusing to eat anything at all. Many of them were force-fed by the prison, as you can see it is made fun of in the card above. To see more of the postcards, go here! It is quite fascinating!

The Suffragettes

Throughout this year we will talk about freedom fighters, and oppressed groups fighting for their civil rights. The following days, I'll show you some articles and pics from the Suffragettes movement, who fought for the women's right to vote. To start it off, I think it's a good idea that you read this article in BBC news. Try to keep in mind what you know about history in the English speaking world at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Colonies? Slavery? Make a historical mind map, it will be useful later!

Remember, when talking about "freedom fighters" we often forget to include the people fighting for the rights of women!