Annie Kenney (1879 - 1953)
Sat Sep 13, 1879
Annie Kenney, born on this day in 1879, was an English working-class, socialist suffragette who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). She co-founded its first branch in London with Minnie Baldock.
Kenney attracted the attention of the press and public in 1905 when she and Christabel Pankhurst were imprisoned for several days for assault and obstruction after disrupting a Liberal rally attended by Winston Churchill and Sir Edward Grey, demanding women's suffrage.
The incident was credited with inaugurating a new phase in the struggle for women's suffrage in the UK, with the adoption of militant tactics. Emmeline Pankhurst wrote in her autobiography that "this was the beginning of a campaign the like of which was never known in England, or for that matter in any other country...we interrupted a great many meetings...and we were violently thrown out and insulted. Often we were painfully bruised and hurt..."
- Date: 1879-09-13
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, spartacus-educational.com, www.wcml.org.uk.
- Tags: #Birthdays.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org