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History > British Politics > Flashcards

British Politics Flashcards

0
Q

Who could vote pre 1832?

A

In a county, freehold land or property worth £2 a year

Boroughs were dependent on type of borough

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1
Q

What were the two main political groups of MPs in the early 1800s

A

Whigs, Tories

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2
Q

What was the total number of people who could vote in 1831?

A

Fewer than 500,000 out of 24 million

NO WOMEN

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3
Q

How frequent were the elections in the early 1800s?

A

Every 7 years

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4
Q

How did MPs gain votes before 1832?

A

They would promise money and bribes in the form of banquets and drink

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5
Q

When was the Spa fields Meeting?

A

1816

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6
Q

What was the Spa fields meeting of 1816

A

A group of extreme reformers congregated on spa fields islington to show their want for abolished taxes and nationalisation of the land

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7
Q

What was the result of Spa fields?

A

The rioters were broken up by the military and nothing else happened

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8
Q

When was The Pentridge Rising?

A

1817

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9
Q

What was the Pentridge rising?

A

A spy called. Oliver reported back a threat of mass revolt in the north of England
Unemployed textile workers set out to link with other groups and capture Nottingham castle

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10
Q

What was the result of the Pentridge rising?

A

Troops were ready and waiting for the marchers, the leaders were tried and hanged and large scale imprisonment

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11
Q

When was the Blanketeers?

A

1817

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12
Q

What was the Blanketeers of 1817?

A

Unemployed workers - mainly weavers - from Manchester
Planned to march to London where they were to present a petition to the prince regent demanding parliamentary reform
They carried blankets to sleep with overnight

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13
Q

What was the result of the Blanketeers?

A

A huge meeting at St. Peter’s field Manchester supporting the march was broken up and the leaders arrested
Groups of marchers were caught and put in prison without trial
Few marchers got further than Macclesfield and one got to London

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14
Q

When was peterloo?

A

1819

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15
Q

What was peterloo 1819?

A

60,000 people gathered in manchester, St. Peter’s field carrying banners
Came to listen to Henry hunt criticise the government

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16
Q

What was the result of peterloo 1819?

A

The govt. expected trouble so ordered 400 special constables and yeomanry and cavalry
They let him start and then an arrest was ordered the constables and yeomanry tried but failed so cavalry rushed forward
11 dead hundreds injured

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17
Q

Why is peterloo named that?

A

Mocking the British victory at Waterloo

Known as the peterloo massacre

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18
Q

What were the Six Acts?

A

It put a ban on all forms of peaceful protest
Presenting a petition limited those who were members of the parish to go
Stamp duty extended to all papers of a size
Magistrates given wide powers to search homes
And the power to try certain cases instead of judge and jury
Private military training and amassing firearms prohibited

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19
Q

Why were the midlands and north unhappy with representation?

A

The great manufacturing towns realised their interests weren’t being represented in parliament

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20
Q

How did the elections of 1830 and French Revolution coincide?

A

They both occurred together, and it maintained a popular interest in politics

In Yorkshire manufacturers and merchants overturned their landowner and re elected another representative

21
Q

How were the rich and poor hit economically in 1829 and 1830?

A

Bad harvests and a trade slump

22
Q

When was the cholera epidemic?

A

1831-32

23
Q

What were the main issues in the times 1829-32

A 
Cholera
Poor harvests
High poor rates
High unemployment 
Poor trade
Low wages
24
Q

When was the Birmingham Political Union founded? (BPU)

A

1829 by the banker Thomas Attwood

25
Q

What was the BPU?

A

A small pressure group to focus and lead local reform movements
15,000 in jan1830 may 1832 100,000 people members

26
Q

What other political unions were there that formed?

A 
The Leeds Association
The Leeds Political Union
The Leeds Radical Political Union
National Political Union 
National Union of the Working Class - Lovett and Hetherington
27
Q

How did the Political unions differ?

A

Some wanted merely the manufacturing interests to be represented in parliament while others just wanted the voting rights of every man

28
Q

How did the political unions help the pressure for reform?

A

They all showed mass public opinion as membership was high and ever increasing
Showed how public opinion could be expressed without breaking the law

29
Q

How did the press play a role in the pressure for reform?

A

By 1830 many leading London papers were in favour of some kind of reform - the times and examiner insisted that reform was ‘the great issue of the moment’
Provincial papers all pressing for reform and voicing public opinion for 20 years

30
Q

What was the early Tory opinion on reform?

A

Traditionally defended the rights of the monarch and the status of the Church of England and advocated strong measures to maintain law and order - especially against radical agitation or riots
Anti reform

31
Q

What was the early Whig opinion on reform?

A

Softer language about radical or popular unrest but in practice acted as vigorously as most Tories.
1820s Whig leader in commons Lord John Russell led a campaign for parliamentary reform
Embraced idea of reform

32
Q

What caused the 1830 election?

A

King George IV died

33
Q

What was the result of the 1830 election?

A

Many MPs who opposed the PM duke of Wellington were elected but not enough
Tories continued in power

34
Q

What happened on Tuesday 2nd November 1830?

A

The Duke of Wellington made a speech backing the current political system and announcing his definite opposition to any kind of reform.

35
Q

What was the result of the Duke of Wellington’s speech declaring his anti-reform nature?

A

It worried most Tories and lots left and joined the Whigs. A few weeks later the Tories fell. William IV asked the Whig leader Earl Grey to become prime minister.

36
Q

What was the lords position on parliamentary reform?

A

Strenuously opposed it and were backed and encouraged by the king

37
Q

Why did the king give in to Earl Greys demands of pro reform peers?

A

He realised the country was in uproar and so was forced to in order to prevent uprising

38
Q

When was the first reform bill presented?

A

31st March 1831 by lord John Russell

39
Q

What did the first reform bill propose?

A

61 boroughs to lose both MPs
47 boroughs to lose one MP
MPs reduced in numbers from 658 to 596
46 seats to the larger industrial towns of midlands and north
One voting qualification - owning or renting a house worth £10 a year

40
Q

What was the opinion of the commons on the first reform bill?

A

Tories and Whigs opposed
Tories and Whigs in favour
Passed by one vote

41
Q

Why was grey uneasy about the passing of the first bill?

A

Because it was a majority of 1Nd so the opposition could make amendments that would ruin it.
He persuaded the king to hold a general election

42
Q

What was the result of the 1831 election?

A

Earl Grey the Whig Prime Minister won by 130 seats

43
Q

How did the result of the 1831 election help pass a second reform bill?

A

It was introduced in July 1831 and was passed by 109 votes and so the the opposition couldn’t amend it

44
Q

What happened to the second reform bill in the lords?

A

It was rejected by 41 votes after 5 days and 5 nights of debates

45
Q

How did the country react to the lords opposition to the second reform bill?

A

Violently. Riots in Bristol, Derby, Nottingham and other cities
Windows of the duke of Wellington smashed
Reforming papers had a black borders to show mourning
New political unions were founded
CofE was attacked in the press 21 bishops against reform
Protest marches

46
Q

When was the third reform bill presented?

A

December 1831 by Lord John Russell

47
Q

What happened to the third reform bill?

A

Passed through commons with ease but in the lords many were trying to delay it. Ministers thought the only situation would be for the king to creat new peers who supported reform
The king refused so greys government resigned

48
Q

What was the result of the resignation of greys government?

A

The Days of May
Riots and rallies as Atwood and the likes tried to stop any chance of the Tories taking power
Westminster flooded with anti Tory petitions and threats from the BPU about a March until the bill was passed

49
Q

How did grey come back into power?

A

The king asked Wellington to formal government but Peel ( the Tory leader in the commons) did not support Wellington so he refused.
William IV promised reforming peers if grey came back, so he did.

50
Q

How did the threat of new peers make the lords pass the bill?

A

Because once a peer you were always there and the Tories could not face having a Whig majority in the lords so they passed the 3rd bill 106 votes to 22 and the king signed it on the 7th June 1832

History (3 decks)

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