The traditional view gave credit to the militant tactics of the suffragettes, represented primarily by the WSPU. This interpretation undermined the role of the suffragists, represented by the NUWSS, who favoured constitutional methods. In recent years, however, this argument has been overturned by historians Jill Liddington and Jill Norris, who maintain that the suffragettes alienated public sympathy by their violent attacks on property. They emphasise the contribution of the "radical suffragists", the female cotton workers of Lancashire - many of them allied to the trade union movement - who concentrated on peaceful, "grass roots diplomacy". Students should question the validity of too sharp a distinction between "suffragettes" and "suffragists", however, as further research is revealing a deeply complex movement, which cannot be so simply categorised. Students may also wish to examine the impact of women's work in World War I, which arguably was far more significant in the fight for the vote than the role of either the suffragettes or the suffragists.
On this issue, I recommend the following books for GCSE, A/S and A2 students:
David Taylor. Mastering Economic and Social History. Chapter 24.
Paula Bartley. Votes for Women.