Suffragettes vs. Police: Historical Photos of Women's Suffrage Movements in the 1910s

One hundred years ago today, on Jan. 12, 1915, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reject a constitutional amendment that would have given women the right to vote. The final vote — 204 against and 174 for — came at the end of a 10-hour debate.

It was not until five years later, in 1919, that the 19th Amendment passed, giving the vote to all American women. (Women had only previously been permitted to vote in certain states.) Here's a collection of dramatic photos from the women's suffrage movements in the U.S. and UK, circa 1910-1920.

1913. English suffragette Annie Kenney (1879 - 1953) is arrested during a demonstration. IMAGE: HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

1914. Flora Drummond, British suffragette, being arrested in Hyde Park, London. IMAGE: UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES

c. 1912. Police arrest a militant suffragette during the campaign for women's rights, in London. IMAGE: BOB THOMAS/POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES

March 20, 1907. A "Lancashire lassie" being escorted through the palace yard, in Westminster Palace, London. IMAGE: MUSEUM OF LONDON/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

1913. A suffragette who was attacked is escorted from the crowd, at a meeting given by Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd-George at Criccieth. IMAGE: P. A. REUTER/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

May 21, 1914. A suffragette recovers after fainting in police custody, following a raid on Buckingham Palace. IMAGE: TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

c. 1910. A suffragette under arrest, in Dundee, Scotland. IMAGE: POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES

1913. A suffragette in the hands of the police, location unknown. IMAGE: UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES

May 21, 1914. Arrested suffragettes are escorted over the bridge in St. James Park, London, after their attack on Buckingham Palace. IMAGE: TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

July 5, 1910. A woman campaigning for the vote is restrained by policemen. British women did not win full voting rights until 1928. IMAGE: SSPL/GETTY IMAGES

1914. Police arrest suffragettes who are chaining themselves to the railings outside Buckingham Palace, London. IMAGE: CENTRAL PRESS/GETTY IMAGES

May 21, 1914. English suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928), founder, with her daughter Christabel (1880 - 1958), of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903, is removed from a Suffragette protest by a policeman. She was frequently imprisoned and underwent hunger strikes and forcible feeding. IMAGE: TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Nov. 18, 1910. A suffragette struggles with a policeman on 'Black Friday,' in Westminster, London. The Conciliation Bill (which would have given the vote to women who occupied premises for which they were responsible) was shelved by Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. On learning of this, the Women's Social and Political Union marched on the House of Commons. A riot followed and the women were assaulted — some severely beaten — by police and others. The newspaper "Votes for Women" reported that 115 women and four men were arrested. The WSPU quickly learned the lessons of that day, and a policy decision was made to pursue their campaign using different tactics. Large deputations were considered to be too dangerous. From this moment, the suffragettes went underground and waged "guerrilla warfare" (their phrase) against the Liberal government. IMAGE: MUSEUM OF LONDON/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

1914. A police officer tries to remove a suffragette from the railings outside Buckingham Palace, during a suffragette demonstration in London. IMAGE: CENTRAL PRESS/GETTY IMAGES

May 21, 1914. A suffragette is arrested on a London street by two policemen. IMAGE: KEYSTONE FRANCE / GETTY

May 21, 1914. Emmeline Pankhurst arrested by Superintendent Rolfe outside Buckingham Palace, London, in May 1914. Pankhurst was trying to present a petition to the king. 'The Suffragette' newspaper reported that as she was driven away to Holloway Gaol, she called out, "Arrested at the gates of the palace. Tell the king!" Pankhurst was jailed several times during the fight to get women the vote. Rolfe died two weeks later of heart failure. IMAGE: MUSEUM OF LONDON/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

c. 1914. A suffragette is arrested. IMAGE: CENTRAL PRESS/GETTY IMAGES

c. 1912. A suffragette arrested by police, location unknown. IMAGE: UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES

Nov. 19, 1910. A tall policeman leads a short suffragette away by her arm. Many suffragettes were imprisoned and force-fed during their struggle to win the vote. IMAGE: MUSEUM OF LONDON/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

c. 1911. British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928), being jeered by a crowd in New York. IMAGE: TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

1917. Members of an anti-suffrage mob tear a suffragette banner to bits during protests outside the White House. IMAGE: TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

c. 1911. Capt. Schmittberger escorts suffragettes from City Hall, in New York. IMAGE: BAIN COLLECTION / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS>

c. 1918. American suffragettes Elizabeth Smart, Elizabeth Glass, Mrs. A. Dugan and Catherine McKeon, of the Brooklyn Woman Suffrage Association, pose with rifles and a flag. IMAGE: FPG/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

(via Mashable/Retronaut)