1867 Reform Act + Flashcards
Impact of Death of Lord Palmerston
- Blocked further Parliamentary reform
- His death gave way to a more reformist PM
Role of John Bright
- Gave many public speeches which inspired many to join the cause of public reform
Role of William Gladstone
- Reinvented himself as someone who supported the ‘respectable’ working class
Role of Benjamin Disraeli
- Saw political reform as a vote winner for the conservatives
Role of Robert Peel
- Introduced police force into London
- Didn’t support the 1832 Reform Act
- Oversaw the foundation of the Conservative Party which made it more appealing to a wider range of people
- Tamworth Manifesto in 1834 promised that his party would support moderate reform
Impact of Party Rivalry
- After the defeat of the Liberal Bill in 1866 the Tories saw their chance to seize political momentum
Impact of 1852 Reform Bill
- Shows there was a stronger will in Parliament to achieve further reform
Impact of Nation Reform Union
- Formed in 1864, mainly supported by middle-class liberals
- Persuade the government to extend the franchise to that of a household suffrage, distribute seats more evenly and bring in secret ballots
Impact of Reform League
- Formed in 1865
- Pressed for complete manhood suffrage
- By 1867 working with the National Reform Union
Impact of Philosophical arguments
- Economic downturn in 1866 caused social discontent
Impact of American Civil War and Italian Unification
- Both events increased demand for change at home
Impact of population
- During 1821-1861 population rose from 24 million to 31 million who lived in industrial towns and cities
- Many were not able to vote
- Began to have a more modern outlook and much more accepting of the idea of democracy
Impact of Hyde Park Riots
- Reform League peaceful protest that turned into an unruly mob, for 2 days troops had to be called out to restore order
- Not the same as the 1830s
- Appearance of respectable working class was a much stronger argument for reform
What were the measures of the 1867 Reform Act?
- 45 seats taken from boroughs with less than 10,000 people
- 7 boroughs completely disenfranchised
- Size of electorate doubled from 1.36 to 2.46 million
- Parties became more representative of the public interest
- Seats reserved for universities
What were the impacts of the 1867 Reform Act?
- Electoral defeat for Disraeli in 1868
- Working class had their own minds
- Political system became honest and professional
- More diverse electorate
- Plural voting still permitted
- Still had many failings (North under-represented etc.)
When and what was the Ballot Act?
1872, Polling booths installed and secret ballots put in place for voting
When and what was the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act?
1883, prevent corruption in the voting process, established what a candidate could spend on election expenses and what the money could be spent on
When and what was the Parliamentary Reform Act?
1884, Created a uniform franchise in both county and borough and applied to the UK as a whole, but plural voting still permitted
When and what was the Redistribution of seats act?
1885, Gave growing towns the right to send more MPs to Parliament and redistribution of 142 seats, Scottish representation to 72
When and what was the Parliament Act?
1911, reduced the power of the House of Lords
When and what was the Representation of the People Act?
1918, have the vote to all men over 21 and all women over 30
What is plural voting?
For those who owned property in both a borough and a county
When were The Hyde Park Riots?
23rd July 1866
