Between the Reform Acts - 1848-67

Question 1

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Prosperity - Quality of Life

Answer 1

• High point of Victorian Prosperity - exemplified through the Great Exhibition of 1851, showcasing Briatin’s status & imperial power
• life was comparitively good

Question 2

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Prosperity - Economy

Answer 2

• Economic conditions were good - reform demands often associated with hardship & hunger

Question 3

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Chartism’s defeat - weaknesses of movement

Answer 3

• radical political action offered mininal prospect of change
• working class movements were too divided on tactics, leaders, & wedded to constitionalism
• whilst the British state had proved itself to be robust

Question 4

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Chartism’s defeat - new focus

Answer 4

• elite members of the working class follow the knowledge Chartism model, proving themsleves to be respectable trusted solid citizens
• Chartism directed its focus onto other things

Question 5

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Working class initaiative for respectability - change in focus

Answer 5

• working class arguably work on a programme of self-improvement, to show worthiness of suffrage,
• in a movement away from direct participation in the political dramas of the 1850s & 60s

Question 6

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Working class initaiative for respectability - initiatives of cooperation

Answer 6

• friendly societies - showing co-operation & provides welfare
• run their own shops - lowers food prices, showing conciousness of fundamental issues

Question 7

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Working class initaiative for respectability - initatiatives of responsibility

Answer 7

• saving banks - responsibility & independence
• form respectable trade unions - high costs to join, to preserve the differentials between the skilled & unskilled labour, offering unemployment & sickness benefits

Question 8

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* assured government - aims

Answer 8

• all govt action performed in the context of Laissez Faire,
• with mere initiatives to ensure adequate QofL
• electoral reform was only ever spoken about out of political opportunism, rather than out of conviction

Question 9

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* assured government - unity

Answer 9

• Without the elite divided there is no prospect for significant change,
• & the elite arguably show remarkable unity for a long period following Chartsim

Question 10

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* assured government - dealing with issues

Answer 10

• Parties were chaotic - Tories split & Whigs remain in a coalition
• differences are on religion & personality/ rivalries, who should rule Britain
• Yet they agree more on substansive issues - efficiently mitigate issues - Chartism, Irish Famine

Question 11

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Viscount Palmerston - Popular amongst the people

Answer 11

• Personal charm - he cultivated an immage through attending illegal prize fights & had charm for his womanising & affairs
• Foreign policy - his use of Gunboat Diplomacy helped the restoration of patriotism in Britain

Question 12

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Viscount Palmerston - Assured his own position & popularity in government

Answer 12

• Gradual reform - further freed up trade, & gave a free breakfast gaining working class support
• Centrist - was a Tory until 1830, then Whig supporting the Reform bill in the 1830s, so acted in seld-interest to remain in power

Question 13

Explain the factors justifying the absence of demands for reform for almost 20 years after Chartism
* Viscount Palmerston - reform

Answer 13

• clear opponent of electoral reform, meaning whilst he was alive, political reform was widely agreed as impossible

Question 14

Explain why the death of Palmerston made it likely that reform would return to the agenda

Answer 14

• Britain was in a time of prosperity, with an assure govt, & hence was less scared for reform
• he had dominated politics, so his death catalysed a race to succeed him, with reform being an integral way to achieve this
• removed major obstacle to reform

Question 15

Who were the key players competing for power following Palmerston’s death

Answer 15

• Lord Derby
• Lord Russell
• William Gladstone
• Benjamin Disraeli

Question 16

Explain who the key players competing for power following Palmerston’s death
-Lord John Russell

Answer 16

• Started his career with a reform act, so thinks it would be fitting to end on one too
• Palmerstons domination limited his prosperity, so he seeks an achievement to cement his career

Question 17

Explain who the key players competing for power following Palmerston’s death
- Lord Derby

Answer 17

• had been PM twice as part of a minority government, yet this would never be succesful
• his most significant acheivement, as Tory leader, was keeping them together
• he seeks a corwning achievement

Question 18

Explain who the key players competing for power following Palmerston’s death
- William Gladstone

Answer 18

• Briatins longest serving Prime Minister - very good public speaker who can rally support from a crowd.
• Impressed by the working classes:
• e.g regarding w-c support for the American Civil War, in which they put morality (slavery is wrong)
• above self-interest (the cotton famine, elading to factories shutting in North England)

Question 19

Explain who the key players competing for power following Palmerston’s death
* Benjamin Disraeli

Answer 19

• Very ambitious, flamboyant young leader of the HofC
• He will do anything, regardless of having integrity with his principles to be Prime Minister, & reform will be a part of this

Question 20

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-Population Growth

Answer 20

• 1832-62, the population grew by over 5 million
• This contributed to increased rural-urban migration, yet there had been no further distribution for equitable representation

Question 21

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-Radical Pressure

Answer 21

• John Bright, former ACLL leader,
  moved efforts to pilitcial reform from 1850, &
• in 1858-59 embarked on speaking tours with the message:
• simply establish the sort of democracy in the UK that by now existed un the USA, peaceful & very popular

Question 22

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-The Reform League & the Reform Union

Answer 22

• Start of 1860s: workers associations focused on reforming parliament through legal means to improve living & working standards
• Showing respobsibility & intelligence, they were sympathised iwth in parliament
• New organisatiosn formed: Reform League & Reform Union

Question 23

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-The American Civil War 1861-65

Answer 23

• Large proportion of Britains population engaged in support
• opportunity to display working class political maturity;
• supporting the north on moral grounds,
• even though their blockade of the South caused the cotton famine of 1861-2 and economic hardship in industrial areas

Question 24

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-Garibaldi’s visit

Answer 24

• Giuseppe Garibaldi was a nationalist General, who was leading figure in the unification of Italy,
• he was a popular symbol of democratic ideals,
• his visit in 1864, associating himself with the Reform League, provided a further stimulus to the reform movement, energising the population

Question 25

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-The Conservatives’ Conversion

Answer 25

• John Bright evaluates “if reform is inevitable the Conservatives should jump in and take the credit for it.”

Question 26

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
The Liberals

Answer 26

• Many frustrated by Palmerston’s resistance to change
• & had stagnated on key issues religion, education and Ireland and that they need an impetus for further reforms: perceiving themselves as reformers.
• JS Mill argues enfranchising the working class will increase their responsibility (rather than them proving their worthiness to vote)
• Reform would also strengthen their position in govt

Question 27

Explain the various other factors in the mid 1860s which contributed to pressures for reform
-The return of social tension

Answer 27

• In 1866 a Reform League demonstration in Hyde park,
• met by police who attempted to refuse them entry, but the numbers of demonstrators was so large that the railings gave way and the crowd streamed in
• The government decided against further reaction, & the event went ahead
• ‘Hyde Park Railings Affair was widely reported, beginning of possible violent protest, stimulated fear of revolution, & gave govt initatives to act

Question 28

Summarise the obstacles to reform
-popularity

Answer 28

• not enough popular belief surrounding reform pressures (apathy)

Question 29

Summarise the obstacles to reform
-govt position

Answer 29

• resistance to seemming as if you’re giving into political pressure, succumbing to disorder (e.g Hyde Park)

Question 30

Summarise the obstacles to reform
-how to implement reform

Answer 30

• questionable if possible to alter reform on property, like 1832 reform act,
• whilst avoiding universal manhood suffrage,
• considering 35 years on of increasing industrial action, population density & property ownership in cities has dramatically increased

Question 31

Explain why Bagehot thinks both parties might ‘bid for the support of the working man’
-power

Answer 31

• they seek reform as political opportunitism, rather than out of conviction, as they wish to assert dominant control in Parliament

Question 32

Explain why Bagehot thinks both parties might ‘bid for the support of the working man’
-vote

Answer 32

• majority of voters would be working class:
• not the most capable people
• may not vote in the best interest of the country