My Own Story Illustrated

"Women are very slow to rouse, but once they are aroused, once they are determined, nothing on earth and nothing in heaven will make women give way; it is impossible.” Emmeline Pankhurst, born in 1858, was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. Pankhurst's militant tactics made her many admirers and foes alike. Tired of weak and non-violent demands for women enfranchisement, Pankhurst decided to attract attention of authorities by adopting arson as a method. Pankhurst founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), an all-women suffrage advocacy organization dedicated to "deeds, not words". Pankhurst, her daughters, and other WSPU activists received repeated prison sentences, where they staged hunger strikes to secure better conditions. Emmeline fought till the end, sacrificed comfort lifestyle and her family, risked her own life number of time. She dedicated herself to the cause completely and did everything for her ideals and beliefs in a just and equal society. Emmeline Pankhurst died in 1928, shortly before women were given full voting rights. This edition brings to you the powerful autobiography of this courageous woman in celebration of the undying spirit of freedom, equality and woman power. In 1999 Time named Pankhurst as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century, stating "she shaped an idea of women for our time; she shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back". She was widely criticized for her militant tactics, and historians disagree about their effectiveness, but her work is recognized as a crucial element in achieving women's suffrage in Britain.