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Primary sourceArtifactSeptember 1909

WSPU Hunger Strike Medal awarded to Mabel Cappers

September 1909

A 1909 WSPU medal with a 'Fed by Force' bar, given to Mabel Capper for hunger striking and force-feeding in prison during Pankhurst's militant campaign.

This medal, from Pankhurst's WSPU, commemorates force-feeding endured by Mabel Capper during the militant campaign Pankhurst led.

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Composite of three photos of the WSPU Hunger Strike Medal. Left: silver medal with 'For Valour' top bar, green-white-violet ribbon, a bar reading 'July 30th 1909', and a round medal engraved 'Hunger Strike'. Top right: open case with satin lining and engraved text 'Presented to Mabel Capper by the Women's Social & Political Union'. Bottom right: medal with 'Fed by Force' bar and tricolour ribbon.
WSPU Hunger Strike Medal awarded to Mabel Capper, with 'Fed by Force' bar, September 1909.

About this source

What it is

This is a photograph of a hunger strike medal awarded by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1909 to Mabel Capper. It has a 'For Valour' top bar, a bar dated 'July 30th 1909', a round medal reading 'Hunger Strike', and an additional bar reading 'Fed by Force'. It came in a presentation case inscribed to Capper.

Why it matters

The 'Fed by Force' bar refers to force-feeding, used by prison authorities against hunger-striking suffragettes imprisoned during the campaign led by Emmeline Pankhurst's WSPU. This medal records both the protest and the harsh treatment activists endured, making visible the human cost behind the movement's tactics.

Look closer

  • Why might the WSPU add a separate bar specifically naming force-feeding?
  • What does the combination of 'For Valour' and 'Fed by Force' suggest about how the WSPU wanted this experience remembered?
  • What does the medal not explain about what force-feeding actually involved?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Emmeline Pankhurst on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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