Lydia Becker

Lydia Ernestine Becker ( born February 24, 1827 in Manchester, † 18 July 1890) was a British suffragette and botanist. She founded and moved the Women's Suffrage Journal. For their botanical work, she was awarded the 1865 Gold Medal of the Horticultural Society.

Life

In the autumn of 1866 Lydia Becker attended a meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Social Science, in which their attention to a post by Barbara Bodichon ( 1827-1891 ), entitled Reasons for the enfranchisement of Women ( Reasons for granting the right to vote women) fell. She decided to get involved in the issue and convened in January 1867, the first meeting of the Committee " Manchester National Society for Women's Suffrage " one. It was one of the very first meetings of this kind in England.

In 1870, Lydia Becker along with Jessie Boucherett the Women's Suffrage Journal, which in the 19th century became the most popular publication in terms of women's suffrage in England, was. The Journal published texts and correspondence from both supporters and opponents of the right to vote and named members of Parliament who had spoken out against the vote.

Becker also organized public appearances for themselves and other women who fought for women's suffrage. 1868 had held the first woman in England a public speech on the subject. In 1874, during one of these gig in Manchester, saw the then 15 -year-old Emmeline Pankhurst the first time a public meeting of Suffragisten that impressed her deeply. 1887 Lydia Becker was elected president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies ( NUWSS ). She sat down, unlike many of the early women's rights, especially for a voting rights for unmarried women and widows one. This setting made ​​it the target of mocking newspaper commentary and cartoons.

Lydia Becker, who did not believe in a biologically based difference between the male and female intellect, was also against a form of teaching, made the differences in education between girls and boys. Even they had received only a minimal education at home, but very interested in biology and astronomy. She was a member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science since 1864, corresponded with Charles Darwin and published some botanical books. She sat down expressly for the education of women in the sciences.

In 1890, Lydia Becker fell ill during a visit to Aix -les- Bains with diphtheria and died. The Women's Suffrage Journal was then, after 20 years of publication, was discontinued.

It was only in 1928 acquired British women the same right to vote as men.

Scientific work

My interest in science is attributed to their German grandfather, who was considered very well-versed in natural history issues and business -related settling in Manchester. Lydia Becker gave lessons in botany and in this context, in 1864 published the tape Botany for Novices. In 1869, she contributed to the British Association before a professional contribution to the lichen Lychnis Diurna. She went here on structural changes of the lichen in conjunction with a fungus. In journals such as the Journal of Botany results of botanical research were published. The Horticultural Society honored her work in 1865 with a gold medal.

Writings

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