Britain 1783 - 1885 (Parliament Facts, Pitt the Younger George III and more)

Question 1

What color seats are in the house of commons?

Answer 1

Green

Question 2

In the 18th century, the House of Lords was made up solely of what type of lords?

Answer 2

Hereditary

Question 3

What was the 18th century middle class also known as?

Answer 3

The merchant class

Question 4

What is the technical term for having the vote

Answer 4

Franchise / Sufferage

Question 5

What colonies were lost in the 1782

Answer 5

The Americas

Question 6

Who was responsible for the loss of the colonies

Answer 6

Lord North

Question 7

Who was the reigning monarch during the 1782 Political Crisis

Answer 7

George III

Question 8

What were the King’s motives for appointing Pitt

Answer 8

He could be trusted
Appointing Pitt meant Fox could be kept out of office
So George III would have a PM that would strengthen and protect his position.

Question 9

When was Pitt appointed as PM

Answer 9

1783

Question 10

Who is Pitt

Answer 10

Pitt the younger - William Pitt the 24yr old Prime Minister, the youngest British PM ever.

Question 11

When did Pitt resign

Answer 11

1804

Question 12

When was the Mince Pie Election and why was it given its name.

Answer 12

1784 and the term mince pie election or government was coined after the ‘rigged’ election since people did not expect Pitt to last as PM past Christmas.

Question 13

What evidence suggests that the King ‘swung’ the election

Answer 13

The king gave Pitt a sizeable election fund to be at his disposal
The king used all influence possible in govt controlled boroughs.

Question 14

What were some of the problems Pitt faced after being elected as PM

Answer 14

He did not have majority support in Parliament
Government was at an Impasse

Question 15

What does it mean by Government at an Impasse

Answer 15

The parties in the Government are at a stalemate struggling to agree and find a point to agree on

Question 16

Why did Fox’s criticism backfire

Answer 16

He talked himself into a hole and ended up promoting views too radical for its time, pushing some of his supporters to Pitt’s side.

Question 17

How was Pitt able to survive as PM despite his lack of positional strength

Answer 17

His reliance on the King along with allowing Fox to talk himself down and staying silent.

Question 18

Did the King behave in a constitutional way

Answer 18

It could be argued that he didn’t as he was supposed to select a PM from the majority. However it could be argued that he did since there is no legislation, or rule specifying that he must do so.

Question 19

What did Pitt abolish or challenge upon arriving in office

Answer 19

He abolished consolidated Funds
Central Stationary Dept was controlled and Govt loans were put out to competition.
Cabinet and the PM’s office was also reorganised
The Bank of England that Controlled all tax revenues was also reorganised.

Question 20

What was the Sinking Fund

Answer 20

Pitt arranged the sinking fund in which every year the government would sink £1mil GBP to sink into a big pot each year to pay back wartime debt

Question 21

What was the Excise Bill

Answer 21

The Excise bill was a bill introduced that allowed tax free imports and exports on tobacco, spirits alcohol and more.

Question 22

Which massive company had its own army?

Answer 22

The east India company

Question 23

What is a constitutional Monarch

Answer 23

When a King or Queen acts as head of state

Question 24

What did Crompton create and when did he create it

Answer 24

He created the spinning mule which made it easier to produce cotton and yarn thread. He created it in 1779

Question 25

When did the first official census of the population carried out

Answer 25

1801

Question 26

What was the Hovering Act

Answer 26

1787 - Allowed the government to confiscate ships caught within 4 miles of the shore that were perpetrating illegal activities (i.e smuggling illegal goods)

Question 27

What was the Consolidation Act 1787

Answer 27

1787 - custom duties and excise duties were amalgamated so that goods qualified for one tax.

Question 28

What was the Current National Dept post the loss of the American Colonies War

Answer 28

£240 Million

Question 29

Which raw materials saw a prominent rise during the begining of rapid industrialisation

Answer 29

Iron, Coal, Cotton etc

Question 30

What did the East India Company trade?

Answer 30

Spices, silk, tea, cotton, slaves, sugar and tobacco

Question 31

What was the population growth from between 1801 and 1811

Answer 31

1801= 10.9 Million 1811 = 12.6 Million

Question 32

What are some examples of tools used during this industrial era?

Answer 32

Hargreave's Spinning Jenny Cartwright's Power Loom Crompton's Mule

Question 33

In what year was there a rapid growth of Cotton

Answer 33

1783

Question 34

Where was majority of cotton shipped to?

Answer 34

Lancashire

Question 35

Which three citties were known for what three goods

Answer 35

Metal goods = Birmingham Woolen Cloth = Yorkshire Tin = Cornwall

Question 36

What were the four main areas of coal production

Answer 36

Black Country South Wales South Yorkshire Clydeside

Question 37

Who built large scale iron works

Answer 37

John Wilkinson

Question 38

Which raw material became the back bone of many industries

Answer 38

Coal

Question 39

How much Coal was being used by 1812

Answer 39

From 7 million tons in 1780s to 14 million tons in 1812

Question 40

Who developed the steam engine?

Answer 40

James Watt

Question 41

What became one of the most effecient methods of material transportation by the 1780s

Answer 41

Canals

Question 42

Why were Canals so effecient?

Answer 42

A network of canals across the country meant heavy bulk goods oculd be easily transported cheaply. Provided attractive investment opportunities for entrepreneurial business men.

Question 43

What were the limitations of using canals for transportation

Answer 43

- Expensive and difficult to construct. - Limited routes. - Froze up in winter. - Slow to operate.

Question 44

What comment did Edmund Burke make in his book, Reflections on the Revolution in France

Answer 44

He claimed that it was 'disaster' and that revolutionists as a 'swinish multitude'

Question 45

Which French Monarchs were executed and when

Answer 45

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed in 1793

Question 46

How did Pitt respond to the execution of the French Monarchy

Answer 46

Pitt, fearing a threat to British interest declared war

Question 47

When was Habeas Corpus suspended?

Answer 47

1794

Question 48

When was the Treasonable Practices Act

Answer 48

1795, made it an offence to speak against the King

Question 49

What was the Seditious Meetings Act

Answer 49

1795, stopped legal gatherings, in interest of the King's safety

Question 50

When were Correspondents Societies and Society of United Irishmen banned

Answer 50

1799

Question 51

In which year did Britain experience bad harvest?

Answer 51

1797

Question 52

What was the Combinations Act

Answer 52

1799, Banned, trade associations and unions

Question 53

Unrest in 1782 meant what for the Irish Parliament?

Answer 53

They were granted legislative independance.

Question 54

What were the downsides of Legislative Independance for the Irish Parliament

Answer 54

Parliament was still dominated by the Anglican ascendancy and the English, due to Lord lieutenant This meant catholics were, heavily excluded and denied civil rights Presbyterians, (a small Irish dissenters) were also denied civil rights.

Question 55

Who was the leader of the United Irishmen, and when were they formed

Answer 55

October, 1791 Wolfe Tone

Question 56

What was the Aim of the United Irish Men

Answer 56

To establish democracy in Ireland through parliamentary reform and equal rights for all men no matter religion

Question 57

# Religion, goals etc Who was Wolfe Tone and what were his beliefs

Answer 57

A protestant, who believed ascendancy had to be ousted for the Presbyterians to gain freedom and properly pursue their interests He proposed working with the Catholics and wanted complete sepration from England

Question 58

When was the Catholic Relief Act and what did it do

Answer 58

1793, Pitt’s attempt to curb Catholic support for the United Irishmen Allowed Catholics to vote, however could not become MPs

Question 59

What happened to the 1795 Catholic Emancipation Bill?

Answer 59

It failed due to opposition from George III

Question 60

What was the 1797-8 Plot of French landings in Ireland

Answer 60

Wolfe Tone was involved in planning French landings in Ireland in order to overthrow the govt The attack failed heavily due to its poor organisation and poor armament. Tone was captured and committed suicide.

Question 61

When was the Act of Union

Answer 61

1800

Question 62

What issues did Pitt face when implementing the Act of Union

Answer 62

Persuading Dublin to accept fewer seats in Westminster Parliament (300 to 100 seats) Bribing Catholics with promise of Emancipation

Question 63

What proportion of Irish MPs were sent to House of Commons, and Lords

Answer 63

100 MPs sent to House of Commons 28 Mps sent to House of Lords

Question 64

Why did Pitt resign

Answer 64

Due to George III's constant rejection of Catholic Emancipation

Question 65

What happened to the 1785 Bill to redistribute seats

Answer 65

The bill with plans to form boroughs with fewer votes to more densley populated northern counties and London failed to George III opposition to the bill, and the aristocracy had no interest in supporting change that would disturb the power balance