What factual examples are there that the militancy of the suffragettes helped them get the vote?

Answer 1

What some people consider "militancy," other people considered determination. The suffragists were determined to call attention to their cause, and they knew that by attracting the newspapers and magazines (commercial radio was not yet in existence), they could create a conversation about the unfairness of denying women the right to vote. The leading suffragists were willing to to perform public stunts to make people notice, and to call attention to the cause of votes for women. Some male newspaper reporters called the suffragists "radicals" and "militants," but that is not how most of them thought of themselves.

A good example was Inez Milholland, a trained attorney and feminist, who was also known for her physical beauty (it was a common stereotype of that time that suffragists were unattractive and unable to find a husband; Milholland was not only beautiful but happily married). She participated in a pro-suffrage parade in Washington DC in 1913, around the time that President Wilson was about to be inaugurated. Milholland was one of the most visible of the marchers-- she was draped in a white cape, and riding a white horse. Large audiences watched the parade, which featured floats and costumed marchers. Suddenly, some anti-suffrage protesters began attacking the marchers; news reports were unclear as to how many protesters were opposed to suffrage and how many resented the timing of the march-- it took attention away from President Wilson. Whatever the reason, when the suffragists were being attacked, the police did nothing to protect them. The public was horrified to see how badly the suffragists had been treated, and it earned them more support. The next time there was a march in support of votes for women, many more people participated, including a growing number of men.