Between the Reform Acts - 1832-67 Flashcards
What were the key political issues in the years 1834-46
- Corn laws & taxes on food in the 1840s
- Whig leadership after Grey steps down
- A lack of majority rule in government
- The Poor Law - social policies, poverty, living conditions (welfare)
What is an argument the crown continued to have control over politics
-When Victoria unexpectedly came to power, she liked the wives of the cabinet who were in her wedding chamber, meaning she supported Melbourne’s Tory government
Why did the Whigs lose the 1841 election
- Economic problems:
- unemployment & a trade depression
- led to unrest and the growth of the Chartist movement & the ACLL
- As a result budget deficits grew
- the Whigs were seeming incapable of responding effectively to any of these problems
Why was Peel such a controversial Prime Minister
- In government - controversial policies which were divisive amongst social classes, meaning he lacked support in the house of commons
- In the Tories - Peel believed in free trade whilst the Tories believed in protectionism - so he split his party
Why did the Tories believe in protectionism
Aristocrats are concerned about maximising agriculture profits, protectionism increases exports
Why did Peel fixate on Free Trade
it would stop food insecurity & starvation by fixing economic problems
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the Abolition of slavery in the british Empire
1833
Explain a Whig Reform
The Abolition of slavery in the British Empire 1833
- slavery had already been banned in the UK
- this was a very progressive change, which resulted in growing Whig support
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the government grant for Education
1833
Explain a Whig Reform
The government grant for Education
- not for all children & was only a small amount of money
- however, it was the first step to state education, with the first time govt pays for education
- 40 years later every kid is educated
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the Factory Act
1833
Explain a Whig Reform
The Factory Act 1833
- regulated working conditions, particularly for women & children
- did this by regulating working hours and ages
- HOWEVER, 7 year olds could still work so despite the progression made, campaigners were not satisfied
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the Poor Law amendment Act
1834
Explain a Whig Reform
The Poor Law amendment Act 1834
- creates 570 workhouses
- the middle class want poor aid tax reduced, as they think people are abusing the system
- so to obtain the newly enfranchised middle classes
- they made the workhouse very undesirable as a place for the poorest
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the Municipal Corporations Act
1835
Explain a Whig Reform
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Creates town councils - gives power to the lower middle class people, through more things they can vote for and stand for at local level
The Whig Reforms 1834-41
When was the Civil Registration Act
1836
Explain a Whig Reform
Civil Registration Act 1836
-implemented birth, marriage & death certificates which helps to monitor populations
How could the Whig reforms be connected to the 1832 Reform Act, to argue that political power (the franchise) was the means of securing beneficial social & political advantage?
- the acts aim to satisfy the middle classes needs, benefitting their quality of life, by asserting more control
- when you get the vote, you get policies that benefit you
How could the reforms of Peel’s ministries be used to counter the view government would only enact policies to those who had the vote
-non voters could be represented by policies which favour them
When was the Carlton Club established
1832 - in response to the Tory Defeat in the wake of reform
what were the main aims of the Carlton Club
to organise elections - to make sure voters are registered & to acquire effective MPs
Who founded the Reform Club
Francis Bonham
Why was the Reform Club established
- to acquire voters in boroughs with radical & reformist voters
- in direct opposition to the Carlton Club
The Carlton Club & the Reform club were the beginning of…
party organisation
When was the Tamworth Manifesto
1846
Who was the Tamworth Manifesto addressed to
It was an open letter for the entire country to read, but was directed at Robert Peel’s Tamworth constituents
What was stated in the Tamworth Manifesto
- Peel established that the Tories accepted the Reform Act, however there would not be anymore reforms
- ‘a final & irrevocable settlement’
What was the significance of the Tamworth Manifesto
- First time a politician established his ideologies, as a national policy
- Establishes the conservative party
- Parties becoming more ideologically coherent
What was the Lichfield House Compact
- A meeting of Whigs, Radicals & Irish Mps held at the House of Lord Lichfield in February 1834
- They agreed to form an alliance to defeat Peel’’s govt
What was the outcome of the Lichfield House Compact
- By giving concessions to Radical & Irish Mps,
- the Whigs & their allies now had a significant majority
- Peel was forced to resign in April 1835
Explain why Free Trade & the Corn Laws was such a divisive issue under Peel
- Peel’s conservative government had set out to tackle the poverty of the early 1840s
- & By 1843 had brought about considerable economic recovery
- However, these laws in 1846 were backwards, splitting the Tory party, painting Peel as a traitor, 2/3 of Tories voted against it
Who were the Peelities
supporters of free trade who left the conservative party, staying loyal to Peel over the repeal of the Corn Laws
Why is the Liberal Party the product of the unification of an anti-conservative coalition
-The Whigs were more tolerant to Catholics & reform, so attracted Irish & Radical support
What was the origins of the Anti-Corn Law League
-it was a product of the economic depression
Who were the leaders of the Anti-Corn Law League
Richard Cobden
John Bright
What was the key aim of the Anti-Corn Law League
-to abolish the corn laws with total & immediate repeal
The Anti-Corn Law League used a ______________ radicalism, addressing…..
different
one single achievable goal
What were the tactics of the Anti-Corn Law League
- sticking to one clear objective
- targeting winnable constituencies
- 1843 –> Coden and Bright spoke to large crowds
What were the achievements of the Anti-Corn Law League
- committed leaders, e.g Cobden had high support in the House of Commons
- Corn laws were repealed in 1846
What were the weaknesses of the Anti-Corn Law League
- petitions were ineffective
- were reliant on the circumstances of the depression & a vulnerable government
What was the significance of the Anti-Corn Law League
The corn laws were repealed in 1846, which was partly the consequence of the Anti-Corn Law League’s efforts
What were the origins of the Plug Plots
-Political unrest was catalysed by the wage cutting of mine & industrial workers in Staffordshire
Where did the Plug Plots take place
The Industrial North
What were the aims of the Plug Plots
-to restore wages of Industrial jobs
Tactics used in the Plug Plots
EFFICIENT
-mass meetings & marches
-plugs drawn from boilers, putting out furnaces, & without steam, factories &mills couldn’t operate
-strikes
Weaknesses of the Plug Plots
-1,500 arrests & tightening of police control
-the authorities could hold out longer than the strikers
Significance of the Plug Plots
Following a good harvest & lift of economic depression in 1842-43, strikers returned to their workplaces
