1.1 Flashcards
What percentage of the population could take part in elections?
2%
Examples of unrepresented COUNTIES
Bedford had a population of 2000 whilst York had grown to a population 24,000 and did not receive anymore MPs-both received 2
The old political system was
outdated and unreflective of the modernising nation
House of Commons represented
ordinary citizens
House of Lords represented
the nobility
The political system was established by
a convention instead a codified model
Because of a conventional system
it was easy for corrupt practises to go virtually without censure
The king ruled with
hereditary power
To sit in the house of lords it required
a peerage
To sit in the house of commons it required the candidate
to win national election
what was the Eligibility for voting?
it depended on wealth. You had to own property worth at least £300 per year depending on the constituency.
The counties
were the rural shires in Britain
How many MPs did counties return to Westminster regardless of size?
2
What was the problem with the county vote?
it returned 2 MPs regardless of size
The boroughs
were the urban towns that over represented small boroughs
How many contested elections were there?
2 - as the leading families chose to divide representation among themselves rather than bribe voters in a contested election
What did the lack of secret ballot cause?
the opportunity for intimidation from landowners and employers
what did Pocket boroughs allow?
wealthy interests to ensure their political dominance as if they controlled the borough they could influence the political power and further their own ambitions
An example of a Pocket borough
The pocket borough of Gatton, Surrey was ‘bought’ in an auction for £90,000 so the owner didn’t have to stand for election against a rival
What was the consequence of the system?
the wealthy controlled the representation in the Commons, the vote did not adequately reflect the different interests in the country
What was the distribution of seats based upon?
the importance of the constituencies at the time of the creation
An example of a town that is over represented due to the old political structure
Old Sarum has mostly disappeared by the 1700 and despite having fewer residents still returned 2 MPS
Which cities had no representation?
Manchester - population of 182,000
Birmingham - population of 144,000,
not recognised as a parliamentary boroughs
Who created the London Based society for Constitutional Information and when?
This organisation was created by Major John Cartwright in 1780
What did the London Based Society for Constitutional information do?
The sought to promote public awareness of the need for reform by pamphleteering.
What was the impact of the London Based society for Constitutional Information?
Raised the issue for reform in a more public sphere and ensured that reform would not be forgotten
What did William Pitt propose in 1785?
to disfranchise 36 of the worst boroughs and redistribute their seats to larger counties but was defeated by 74 votes in the commons
What was the impact of the French Revolution?
British citizens began to question the legitimacy of the political system and saw it as being ruled by the nobility.
What did Thomas Paine write?
Rights of Man
What did the Rights of Man state?
condemned the inequalities of the existing system
How many copies of the Rights of Man sell by 1793?
200,000
What did Paine’s work emphasise?
the natural rights belonging to a human being and called for radical reform. wanted a government ruled by the people
what was the impact of the Rights of man?
it inspired reformers who sought to bring greater democracy to the country
Sheffield Society
in 1792 had nearly 10,000 signatures on a petition calling for manhood suffrage
London Corresponding Society
On October 26th 1795 a demonstration was organised at Copenhagen Fields which attracted more than 100,000 people
what did the growing number of organisations being created suggest?
the growing participation suggested that reform was a a growing pressing issue for the country
When was the Treason Act passed?
1795
What did the Treason Act state?
allowing the death penalty for any treasonable activity, including political meetings and the publication of seditious material that might challenge government authority.
What happened in 1816?
The harvest failed and food was in scarce supply so food prices were raised, with the war over soldiers returned home looking for work and therefore there was a decline in wages.
Henry Hunt
made speeches about reform which raised political awareness and spread throughout the country when the country was in economic distress
When did the Peterloo Massacre take place?
August 16th 1819
Where did the Peterloo Massacre take place?
Manchester St Peters Fields
How many people attended the Peterloo massacre?
more then 60,000
What happened at the Peterloo massacre?
Local magistrates ordered the peaceful protest to be disbanded and Hunt arrested. Using yeomanry the crowds were forcibly dispersed by a sabre charge
How many people were killed in the and wounded in the Peterloo massacre?
18 people were killed and more then 400 were wounded
What was the immediate outcome of the Peterloo Massacre?
Further repression by the government through a series of Acts designed to strengthen the governments hand against protestors
What did the Six Acts introduce?
the banning of a public meetings more then 50 people and death penalty for sedition, gave magistrates more power to search for weapons, protected magistrates from any consequences arising from a persons injury during crowd dispersal at illegal meetings
what did the repressive nature of these Acts suggest?
the government was fearful of a violent retaliation from the more aggressive elements of the reform movement who might have seen the brutal event as a invitation to revolt
What effect did the Peterloo Massacre have on the middle class?
they dropped their reform intentions and tried to preserve their positions in society
What effect did the Peterloo have?
stirred up greater determination to challenge the political regime
Who led the attempted assassination on the cabinet?
Arthur Thistlewood
What did the jump from public speechmaking to attempted assassination suggest by 1820?
Britain was in a dangerously revolutionary position
What was the Corn Law?
this law protected British Farmers from foreign competition. it prohibited the import of foreign corn until the price of domestic corn reached 10 shillings a bushel
Why did the new middle class not like the Corn Law?
For employers, in the cities the law forced up bread prices and as this was a staple food product for the poor, employers were forced to raise wages to retain a healthy workforce
Why did the middle class think they could voice political opinions ?
As the provider of both employment and much of Britains resources they thought they should have more of a say in how the country was governed. They thought that because the Dominance of the landed gentry was in decline and people migrated into areas for work suppled by themselves they were the new elite
Between 1821 and 1829 how much did the gross national product rise by?
16.8% and 25% in manufacturing
Why did the government relax their grip on the country between 1820-1829?
The country settled into more wealth and trade within Europe picked up
What year was Henry Hunt released from prison?
1822
What did Lord John Russell propose in 1822?
to disfranchise 100 of Britains most rotten boroughs and redistribute the seats to the growing industrial cities. The proposal received no support and failed by a large majority
What did the denial in Lord John Russel proposal in 1822 suggest?
Those in power continued to reflect the dominance of aristocratic thinking and democracy was a long way off
What happened between February and March 1830?
200 petitions were sent to Parliament from those living in rural areas demanding tax reduction. This was because of poor harvest between 1828-1829 and this led to higher food prices
Why did the Swing Riots happen?
They received a positive response from parliament in response to their tax reduction request however conditions failed to improve and thus riots broke out
How long did the Swing Riots last?
18 months
What motivated the Swing riots?
it was not motivated by demands for reform but those in parliament began to see reform as a means to appease the discontent.
What happened during the Swing Riots?
hay sticks were burned and authority figures were accused of failing the local people
Who supported the Swing Riots cause?
Radical reformers and manufacturers interests
What did reformers think of the parliament and how to solve their solution during the Swing Riots ?
They thought that parliament had no real understanding about the problems they faced and that the only logical solution was an increased electorate to include those with knowledge of these issues
What did Arthur Thistelwood and his group attempt to do?
A group led by Arthur Thistelwood plotted to assassinate the cabinet whilst dining in Grosvenor Square
Why did the attempt assassination on the cabinet fail?
The attempt was found out by the authorities and the group was seized.
