BRITAIN Breadth 1- RPAs Flashcards
When was a motion passed by the House of Commons criticising the power of the Crown?
1780
When did the war of American Independence end?
1783
Why did the demand for parliamentary reform decline in 1783?
Taxes and government expenditure had been cut once the American war had ended
When was the French Revolution?
1789-99
When were the Napoleonic wars?
1793-1815
Why did the calls for parliamentary reform quieten down during the Napoleonic wars?
Government action to stifle demands; patriotic sense of duty to focus on winning the war
After the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, which group began to call for reform again?
Working classes; radical campaign for manhood suffrage
Why did many of the middle classes oppose parliamentary reform from 1815-20?
Widespread belief among the middle and upper classes that only those who owned property had the right to vote
From 1815-20, what type of parliamentary reform did the middle classes favour?
Vote being given to the new middle classes; better representation of densely populated industrial areas in north/Midlands
What was the smallest and the largest county population-wise in 1815?
Rutland- 19,000
Lancashire- 1,300,000
What is an example of a large city that had no seats of its own in 1815 and what was this cities population?
Manchester, with a population of 180,000
What was the representation like in Cornwall in 1815? (how many borough seats for what population)
21 borough seats despite population of 192,000
What was Earl Grey’s attitude to reform and what was his political career like?
Supporter of moderate parliamentary reform to avoid revolution; spent most of career in opposition; leader of Whigs through years of Tory domination; steered the Reform Bill through Parliament as PM
Why did the demand for reform become quieter in the 1820s?
Economy revived
As a result of the revival of the economy, between when were there no petitions for reform presented to Parliament?
1824-9
Where was known as the notorious rotten boroughs?
Dunwich; Old Sarum
What did Parliament agree to in 1821?
To disenfranchise the corrupt Cornish borough of Grampound and allot its 2 seats to Yorkshire
Which king was majorly opposed to parliamentary reform and the whigs, unlike his successor?
George IV
What 3 political events dramatically changed the political scene between 1829-30?
Passing of Catholic Emancipation; accession to the throne of King William IV; emergence of political unions
When was the Act of Catholic Emancipation passed?
1829
What was the Act of Catholic Emancipation?
Act of Parliament allowing Roman Catholics the right to become MPs or hold other public office
Who was the PM and the leader of the Tory party in the House of Commons during the passing of the Act of Catholic Emancipation?
Duke of Wellington; Sir Robert Peel
Why was the Act of Catholic Emancipation passed?
Tory government feared the outbreak of full-scale rebellion in Ireland after a popular campaign
Why did many Tories never forgive the PM/Tory leader for the passing of the Act of Catholic Emancipation?
Saw it as a betrayal of their party, the Church of England and an assault on the British constitution
When did King George IV die?
June 1830
Why did the Tory government in 1830 suffer further losses in the election and fail to gain a majority in Parliament?
Recent poor harvests; rising unemployment; revival of radical demands for reform
When was the second French revolution and what did it involve?
July 1830; led to the downfall of the Bourbon monarchy and the establishment of a new king
When did political unions reappear?
1829-30
Why did political unions reappear? (3)
Deteriorating economic conditions; result of recent general elections; events in France
Birmingham Political Union (BPU)
Formed in 1830; attracted middle and working-class support, although Attwood did not believe in universal suffrage
Who was the BPU led by?
Thomas Attwood
How many people did the first meeting of the BPU attract?
15,000
What had resulted in the formation of the BPU?
Attwood had noticed, in the recent campaign in Ireland, the impact public pressure and mass support could have on the government
Which political union was dominated by artisans and craftsmen?
Metropolitan Political Union
Who led the Metropolitan Political Union?
Founded in London by Henry Hunt
Which party was appointed in November 1830?
Whigs
What did the Whig government of November 1830 decide to make a priority?
Parliamentary reform
When was the first Reform Bill presented to the House of Commons?
March 1831
Which controversial proposals did the first draft of the Reform Bill 1832 make?
Deprived 60 boroughs of both their MPs and another 47 of one of their MPs; awarded many of these seats to new, industrial towns; established a uniform voting qualification in the boroughs
What was the uniform voting qualification proposed in the first draft of the Reform Bill 1832 in the boroughs?
All those who owned or rented a house worth £10 a year in rent would be enfranchised
Why did Sir Robert Peel and other Tories oppose the first draft of the Reform Bill 1832?
Believed it would not be ‘final’
What happened when a vote was taken on the second reading of the Reform Bill 1832?
Government won by a single vote- April 1831
Why was the king reluctant to agree to the Whigs’ requests after the defeat of the bill in April 1831? (3)
He feared revolution because of the General election just 6 months before; recent poor harvests; riots and demonstrations
What did the Whigs demand after the defeat of the bill in April 1831?
Asked king to dissolve Parliament and call a new election
How did Earl Grey persuade the king to give into the Whig demands after the defeat of the bill April 1831?
Reform of Parliament would pacify public opinion and cause the agitation in the country to die down
Which major newspaper supported reform and gave huge coverage to meetings and petitions?
The Times
How did the Whigs do in the general election of June 1831?
Swept back to power with a majority of over 130 seats
How many pro-reform candidates were successful in the general election of June 1831 in the counties?
Gained 76/82 county seats
What was the main change made in the second draft of the Reform Bill 1832?
Whigs agreed to a Tory amendment that extended the vote in the counties to tenants renting land worth £50 a year, not just to those owning property worth £2 a year
When was the second attempt of the Reform Bill eventually passed by the House of Commons?
September 1831
How many people attended the march organised by Attwood in Birmingham in October 1831?
100,000- ranging from bankers to miners
How was the BPU involved with putting pressure on the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill?
Thomas Attwood had a meeting with Grey- Attwood was planning a big demonstration and Grey hinted that then was the time for the BPU to make itself felt
Where did riots break out when the House of Lords rejected the Reform Bill?
Nottingham; Derby; Bristol
Who was one of the main targets of the riots in Bristol about the House of Lords’ defeat of the Reform Bill?
Bishop, who had voted against the bill in the lords; his palace was burned down
