Emmeline Pankhurst
Militant leader of British suffragette movement who pioneered radical tactics for women's voting rights
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) transformed political activism through her leadership of Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Coining the motto "Deeds Not Words", she organized:
- Mass window-smashing campaigns
- Arson attacks on empty buildings
- Hunger strikes in prison
Her radical tactics included:
| 1908 | Led 500,000-person rally in Hyde Park |
| 1913 | Coordinated nationwide bombing campaign |
| 1914 | Mobilized suffragettes for war effort |
Pankhurst's controversial methods polarized public opinion but ultimately pressured Parliament to pass the 1918 Representation of the People Act, granting voting rights to propertied women over 30.
Historian June Purvis notes: "She brought women's suffrage from the margins to the center of British politics". The direct action template she created influenced later civil rights movements worldwide.