Britain Booklet 3 Flashcards
What % of the population could vote,pre reform, because the franchise was based on property?
5%
In 1831, how many men had the right to vote out of a population of 13.89m?
400 000
How many MPs could a county send to parliament?
2 MPs
What are the 6 different types of borough?
- Rotten
- Scot and lot
- Potwalloper
- Corporation
- Freeman
State a fact that shows the problem with representation caused by boroughs?
By 1831, Lancashire had a population of 1.3m and had 14 MPs, while Cornwall had a population of 300 000 and 42 MPs
What fraction of elections were uncontested?
2/3
What was the name of armed groups who intimidated voters?
‘Lambs’
What was the name for the kidnapping of rivals’ supporters until the end of the election?
‘Cooping’
What was the view of the Tories which was against reform?
They argued that reform would increase social tension by setting country against town and land against industry, because not all areas could be represented by redistributing seats
Who was the anti-reform leader of the Tories?
Lord Liverpool
What was the view of the whigs towards reform?
They supported moderate reform, yet they were not revolutionaries nor democrats. They would gain votes of the middle class if they supported reform
In October 1795, a demonstration by the radical society (the LCS) in Copenhagen fields attracted how many people?
Over 100 000
How much did it cost to join LCS?
A penny a week, therefore was ‘open to all’
In may 1972, how many signatures on a petition calling for make suffrage did the Sheffield society for constitutional information gather?
10 000
By 1793, how many copies of Thomas Paine’s the rights of man had been sold?
200 000
What did poor relief grow from in 1775 and to in 1817?
£2 million to £8 million
Who was Henry Hunt?
A wealthy landowner who was fed up with the corrupt political system and organised mass meetings where he spoke publicly to call for reform.
The APLP grew to be the largest political organisation in the country with how many branches nationwide?
2000
In December 1795, what 2 acts were passed to reduce the calls for reform?
- The treasonable and seditious practices act - broadened the law of treason.
2.the seditious meetings act - banned meetings of over 50 people whose object was to discuss reform.
What did the corn law of 1815 do?
Guaranteed protection of wheat prices for landowners, guaranteeing a price of 80 shilling a quarter tonne before foreign grain could enter the market?
How was the corn law of 1815 perceived?
As a piece of class legislation to maintain landowners profits whilst making grain more expensive for consumers
What were the negative impacts of the Income tax repeal 1816?
Indirect taxes were increased on popular items such as beer and sugar. This harmed the common workers more than the wealthy because they suffered from the inflation.
What took place at the spa fields riots in 1816-17?
First meeting - peaceful protest of 20 000 people.
Second meeting - crowd of 200 marched to the Tower of London, was dispersed and the leaders arrested.
Third meeting - crowd attacked the prince regents coach at the opening of parliament
What was the Peterloo massacre?
August 1819, 60 000 people gathered to listen to henry hunt at at peters fields but the yeomanry were sent to arrest him.
The crowds swamped them, the 15th hussars were sent to protect the yeomanry and as a result 11 people died, 400-600 wounded.
List the 6 acts…
- Seditious meetings prevention act
- The seizure of arms act
- The blasphemous and seditious libels act
- The training prevention act
- The newspaper and stamp duties act
- The misdemeanours act
What were the swing riots?
They spread to 20 counties and mostly in lol we machine breaking, arson, assaults on landlords, demands for higher wages and strikes.
Between February and March 1830, 200 petitions were sent to parliament demanding tax reductions in rural areas.
How many people did the BPU attract during the days of may?
200 000
How many unions were there in Britain?
100 unions, 1/3 in the north and 1/3 in the midlands
Name an individual part of the radical press?
Richard Carlisle
What year did Wellington allow the passing of the catholic emancipation act, which heartened the radicals?
1829
George III and George IV opposed reform bills that the whigs had tried to introduce in what years?
1792, 1793, 1797
Who was the new king after George IV who supported the whigs, reform and a new government in November 1830?
William IV
Who was the whigs leader in 1830, and how did he view himself compared to the ‘men of property’?
Earl grey , saw himself as the ‘safe half-way house’ between the current system and radical extremism
When George canning (Tory) was made PM in April 1827, what happened?
Duke of Wellington, Robert peel and nearly half the Tory cabinet refused to serve under him.
He was forced to make a government with many whigs and died just 4 months later.
What gave the whigs their success in the June 1830 general election?
Poor harvest, rising unemployment and a revival of radical demands for reform
In the downfall of the Tory party, political unions grew. How many petitions were handed to parliament from October 1830 - April 1831 calling for reform?
3000 petitions
Thousands of swing rioters were arrested and put on trial, what was the guilty results?
19 executed, over 450 transported for life
When was the first reform bill introduced?
March 1831
In the first reform bill, what was the changes on boroughs?
Aimed to redistribute 100 rotten boroughs to the industrial north and midlands
When was the second reform bill?
July 1831
By how many votes was the second reform act rejected by the lords?
By 41 votes
After the second reform bill was rejected, what happened in Bristol?
Rioters controlled Bristol for 3 days, when troops were sent to restore order 12 rioters were killed and over 100 injured
When was the third reform bill?
December 1831
When did the reform act become law?
The days of may scared the lords and so it was law from June 1832
Name some features of the days of may (1832)
Anti-Tory petitions
Protest marches in the north and midlands
Francis place planned to withdraw money from banks simultaneously to trigger a banking crisis. (‘to stop the duke, go for gold’)
What happened to the size of the electorate after the 1832 great reform act?
Rose from 366 000 to 650 000
How many new boroughs were created from the great reform act?
42
How many seats were given to English counties from the great reform act?
62 seats
