1832 REFORM ACT Flashcards
what were the causes of the reform act, 7
- death of lord Liverpool 1827
- emancipation act 1829
-death of George IV/William IV taking throne 1830 - whig party/early grey
-swing riots 1830-32
-bristol riots 1831
-3 bills
causes of the reform act: death of lord Liverpool 1827
- Liverpool was regarded as a competent and decent person who led the party from 1812-27
- when he died 3 different leaders took the place in 11 months (showing how he kept the tory party from evaporating)
-when he died there was a power vacuum so whigs could come in and push reform
what was lord Liverpool heavily against
- emancipation act 1829
who took over as leader of tory party after Liverpool
-Duke of wellington 1827-30
-passed emancipation act but couldn’t keep the party together
CAUSES OF REFORM ACT: emancipation act 1829
- act carried by Robert Peel allowed Catholics to sit as mps
-tory party was heavily divided over the issue causing internal conflict - split the party into the ultras and liberals with liberals joining the whigs (wearing majority)
CAUSES OF REFORM ACT: death of George iv and William iv taking throne 1830
- George iv was a regressive king and unpopular
- his brother William was more progressive and allowed the passing of several reforms
-eg poor laws updated, slavery abolished in all british empire
CAUSES OF REFORM ACT: whig party/earl grey
- earl grey led the party 1830-34 and considered extending the franchise as a way of enhancing their chances of obtaining office
- tory crisis in 31 opened the door to reform and the whigs presented a bill to parliamnent
CAUSES OF REFORM : swing riots 1830-32
-General uprising of agricultural workers in the south
- attacked workhouses, burnt crops, destroyed threshing machines
- aristocrat saw agricultural workers as docile and unable to protest
what causes the swing riots
- 2 consecutive poor harvests leaving workers with limited money and produce
- plus the agricultural revolution resulted in mechanisation taking away artisan jobs
CAUSES OF REFROM: Bristol riots 1832
- when the H of L rejected the bill serious rioting broke out
- ## 3 days of rioting in Bristol ending with 130 dead due to cavalry charge
how many people died and how in Bristol riots 1831
-130 dead by cavalry charge
what Wass the significance of bristol in 1830s
-at the time bristol was the largest port on the west coast growing and becoming wealthy due to slave trade
3 bills
-1st bill presented 1831 but got rejected
-2nd bill passed commons but got blocked in tory dominated H of L
- 3rd bill involved changes to increase its chances of being passed
-3rd bill received royal assent 1832
when was the first bill presented to parliament
1831
what did earl grey do when the 1st bill struggled through commons and faced extreme amendments
- requested to the king to dissolve parliament ( royal prerogative powers) to achieve a majority to pass the bill
- a referendum was called and grey had correctly judged the publics perspective
he gained a 160 majority
what amendments were made on the 3rd bill to increase its chances of being passed
- reducing the number of boroughs to lose an MP
what did the act achieve: how did the electorate change
- 300k-600k (18% of adult male pop)
- only enfranchised mc man
-scotland electorate (4.5k-65k) +8 more parliament seats)
-ireland electorate (50k-90k) + 5 more parliament seats
what did the act achieve: representation
-42 towns/cities eg bham Manny which were underrepresented are now represented (before ‘32 bham had 140k pop n no mps)
-56 boroughs in wale and uk were disefranchised
criticisms about the act
-women still couldn’t vote
-only 18% of males could vote
-voting still done in public so corruption and bribery still continued
- class composition of commons did not alter
