Repeal of the CD Acts
Extensions of the Acts
The CD Act (1866) widened the scope to 18 military/naval towns.
The CD Act (1869) extended the 5 more naval towns and imprisonment for examination to six months
Royal Commission 1871
1869 -- The National Association for the Repeal of the CD Acts was formed, little progress made
A new political climate helped increase potential of repeal as of the 1867 Reform Act and women's suffrage groups.
Pressure to repeal the acts were immediate
Josephine Butler
The LNA was against the presumed guilt and seeked to question the morality of the men involved
1870 - Became Leader of the Ladies National Association
Pushed Butler to moral reform, especially after seeing the state women were in, in Liverpool
Born into wealthy, reformist family, husband helped reform beliefs, 6yo. daughter fell down stairs and died
LNA Leadership
The repeal was argued on several points:
Waging unequal war on weaker sex only
Presumed guilty until proven innocent
Persecute working-class women limiting freedom of movement
A general Committee of the LNA and the "Ladies Protest" were created and were signed by 124 members in the Daily News
Butler opened a new House of Rest for women who needed temp-shelter
The LNA were mostly led by middle class women
Methods of campaigning
Petitions
Between 1870-86, 18,000 petitions were signed by 2.5m people and sent to Parliament
Public meetings
Held in Church halls, town halls, advertised with posters and adverts in local papers, signatures collected afterwards.
Lobbying MPs
Most effective, harrasement of Liberal MPs
Henry Joseph Wilson
League members were also Liberal supporters, the most effective league leader was Henry Joseph Wilson
Wilson's causes included disesta-Anglican Church, Irish Home Rule, Anti-Imperialism and the end of the Opium Trade
Wilson's political interests were born of radical tradition from his father and devotion to civic duty
James Stansfield
1874 - Liberals lost GE and repeal chances fell
James Stansfield, a cabinet minister, gave the campaign political legitimacy
Stansfield led the campaign, and he encouraged the formation of the National Medical Association in 1875 to enlist the support of doctors.
1880s - Surge of support, with more radical Liberal MPs
In 1880, Stansfield returned to Parliament and helped in a committee who listened to testimonies of doctors, stalemate
Repeal of the Acts
Act became in effective and repealed in 1886.
"House disapproves of complusory examinations of women under CD Acts"
Passed 182 to 110
Wilson, now an MP, with Stansfield pushed for change in Commons
Significance of the repeal campaign
Butler was credited for the success of the movement, building up popular support across classes and genders
The success of the campaign for the repeal of the Acts inspired many more who fought for women’s rights