Abstract
The nineteenth century was very significant for women, mainly because they were at a turning point in their living conditions. It was ascertained that their place was at home and they were not able to think, unlike men. This situation was considered as unbearable by a growing number of women and a need for rights began to appear. Actually, the suffrage question, which means the extension of the franchise to women, became more and more significant to them. The involvement of women into politics increased through the nineteenth century as the need for change began to be felt. It leads us to the following question: how did feminist politics appear in the nineteenth century? Firstly, we will focus on the political background of the period. Then we will discuss the birth of feminist politics. Finally, we will deal with the evolution of these feminist political ideas. The political background of the nineteenth century Britain was mainly represented by the two political parties of that time, the Whigs and the Conservative party. The Whig party governed Britain for most of the nineteenth century with leaders like Henry John Temple and the Viscount of Palmerston. Whig ideology was influenced by John Locke's contract theories, which meant that government was not established by God. Whigs began to be referred to as the Liberal Party and William Gladstone became their leader in 1866. He tried to “impose his own self discipline and sense of Victorian Christianity on the nation. He also did his best to assure ‘laissez faire' economic policies.
