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