The Growth of Parliamentary Democracy
- Created by: joellamanley
- Created on: 11-04-16 20:07
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- The unreformed parliament and its critics
- The pre-reform electorate, parliamentary seats and elections
- to become an MP, a candidate has to own property worth at least £300 a year
- MPs didn't receive a salary
- patronage was practised: where peers sponsor MPs which allowed for corrpution
- the franchise that could vote was split into boroughs and counties, that had different requirements and weren't proportional
- there was no secret ballot for voting, which allowed bribery and threats
- pocket boroughs allowed landowners to threaten voters and control their votes
- rotten boroughs allowed very small populations to send two MPs to Westminster
- The Growth of Parliamentary Democracy
- Pressure for change and reform (1820-52)
- Economic and social distress: emerging popular pressure (1820-32)
- Britain prospered after the Six Acts, so that the GDP rose and manufacturing increased
- while Britain prospered, the government relaxed, radicals released from prison and brought in more liberal minds
- reform still in need though, as government reluctant to disenfranchise boroughs or redistribute seats
- voices of reform, while muted after 1819, started to rise again during bad harvests in 1828-9
- in urban areas there was decline and the increasing number of middle class people wanted more political recognition
- Reasons for the passing of the Great Reform Act (1832) and its significance
- Tory party collapsing: conflicts over Catholic Emancipation; between Peel and Canning; resignation of Liverpool
- Tory split into ultras and liberals, weakened party
- middle class pressure increasing, and Whigs wanted their favour
- 'Days of May', public withdrew £1.8 million within 10 days
- took Earl Grey 3 bills, a lot of rioting, the failure of Wellington and some help from the king to pass the Reform Act
- Act included: disenfranchising 56 boroughs, creating 42 more, more seats in Scotland and Ireland, changing the electorate
- led to Chartism
- Chartist demands and the failure of Chartism
- Chartism founded in 1836, published People's Charter in 1838
- Charter meant that working class would be listened to and be able to vote and stand for election
- most chartists were working class and fluctuations occurred when prosperity of Britain improved
- split into physical and moral force, conflict between leadership and method
- passed 3 petitions to parliament; land plan 1845; Newport rising 1839; Chartist Convention 1858
- weaknesses included; lack of farmers; spies infiltrating; no MP support; clash between leaders, goals and methods
- Chartist demands and the failure of Chartism
- Chartist demands and the failure of Chartism
- Chartism founded in 1836, published People's Charter in 1838
- Charter meant that working class would be listened to and be able to vote and stand for election
- most chartists were working class and fluctuations occurred when prosperity of Britain improved
- split into physical and moral force, conflict between leadership and method
- passed 3 petitions to parliament; land plan 1845; Newport rising 1839; Chartist Convention 1858
- weaknesses included; lack of farmers; spies infiltrating; no MP support; clash between leaders, goals and methods
- Change and continuity in the new electoral landscape
- by extending the franchise to the middle class, this destroyed any alliance with the working class
- corruption still present, with no secret ballot
- more people could vote, and clubs around to encourage registration
- political parties became more definitive; growth of the two party system
- Municipal Corporations Act introduced elected councils
- subtle changes relating to reform; abolition of slave trade, new poor law
- Economic and social distress: emerging popular pressure (1820-32)
- Further parliamentary reform (1852-70)
- The significance of the National Reform Union and the Reform League
- National Reform Union formed in 1864 to extend franchise
- NRU had a respectable lobby group
- 1865 Reform League set up, with more ambitious and radical aims
- acted in an acceptable manner (using speeches and discussions) to take advantage of the open political climate
- Lord Palmerston's death in 1865, allowing Gladstone's reform bill to be passed in 1866
- Changing political attitudes in the 1860s and the impact of the Reform Act of 1867
- liberals in power in 1859 under Lord Palmerston, who opposed reform
- MP John Bright (Birmingham), founded Anti-Corn Law league, made speeches to promote reform
- American Civil War led to 'Cotton Famine' and showed how people could be active against slavery
- divisions in the liberal party from reform bill 1866, caused amendments to be made which lead to the Hyde Park Riots
- the second reform act meant tories lost the next general election, and there were now over 2.46 million voters
- after 1867 more variety in voters, skilled working class and about 1/3 of adult male population
- areas in Midlands and north under-represented, property still determined franchise, a system of 'plural voting'
- The significance of the National Reform Union and the Reform League
- Pressure for change and reform (1820-52)
- Demands for reform
- revolution in France gives people in Britain ideas
- societies formed to inform people through political pamphlets
- died out before 1815 during French wars
- end of French wars and harvest failed in 1816, so hunger politics dominated
- momentum increased with protests, petitions and marches
- 'Six Acts' passed by government to squah more rebellions
- The political demands of the manufacturing interest
- due to industrialisation, a new middle class was forming
- the new factory owners, and commercial men favoured a laissez-faire approach
- a new Corn Law was passed to potect British farmers from foreign competition
- the corn laws brought up prices of bread, which affected working classes, and middle classes who were forced to increase wages
- The pre-reform electorate, parliamentary seats and elections
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