The use of petitions was another tactic employed by the suffragists to demonstrate support for their cause. These petitions were presented to Parliament.
First petition
The first petition to Parliament asking for votes for women was presented to the House of Commons by Henry Hunt MP on behalf of a Mary Smith, on 3 August 1832. The same year, the Great Reform Act expanded the electorate, but to 'male persons' only.
Another early petition was presented by John Stuart Mill, the philosopher, political economist and Member of Parliament, in 1866.
Challenging received opinions
There were other men inside and outside Parliament who also supported women's suffrage, challenging the received opinions of the time.
As the 19th century drew to a close, the suffragist movement lost momentum and some members, such as Emmeline Pankhurst who was to form the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903 and would lead a more militant campaign, were frustrated at the lack of progress.
Impact of peaceful tactics
The impact of peaceful tactics seemed to have been exhausted. It seemed to some campaigners that a different, more radical approach was needed.