Causes of 1832 Reform Act Flashcards
What did the London Society for Constitutional Information founded in 1780 propose?
Raise public awareness of the need for reform
What did William Pitt propose in 1785?
Disenfranchisement of 36 boroughs and redistribution of seats to counties
Name 2 organisations that tried to raise the issue of political reform in the 1790s.
Sheffield Society for Constitutional Information, London Corresponding Society
How many people attended a rally at Copenhagen Fields to call for political reform in 1795?
100,000
What law of 1795 clamped down on political reform activity after the start of the Napoleonic Wars?
Treason Act
Which early radical writer and journalist called for political reform in the early 1800s?
William Cobbett
Between what dates did Lord Liverpool serve as a PM?
1812-1827
How many soldiers returned from the Napoleonic Wars?
400,000
Which radical spoke to the crowds at St Peter’s Fields, Manchester, 1819?
Henry Hunt
When and where were the Spa Fields Riots?
Islington, London, 1816
Who was hung for his role in the Pentrich Rising in 1817?
Jeremiah Brandreth
How did the government try to crush the reform movement in 1819?
Six Acts
Suspension of Habeas Corpus
What happened during the Cato Street Conspiracy?
Led by radical Arthur Thistlewood a plot to assassinate the cabinet was uncovered
What does the term ‘laissez faire’ mean?
Principle that government should not control the economy or markets
Why did middle-class business men think that they should have the vote? Give 2 reasons.
Because they created the wealth of industrial Britain, their entrepreneurial skill and hard work, they were educated
Why did Britain prosper after 1820?
Improved harvests, GNP grew by 16.8% and manufacturing grew by 25% during 1821-1829, no large scale discontent
When did (the more liberal) Robert Peel become Home Secretary?
1822-27
In what years did poor harvests re-energise discontent amongst workers?
1828,1829
Why did the Swing Riots break out in 1830 in the South east of England?
Poor harvests, mechanisation (threshing machine) of seasonal labour
In what city did major riots occur in response to the failure of a reform bill in 1831?
Bristol
Who established the Birmingham Political Union in 1829 and what was his profession?
Thomas Attwood, banker
What was the aim of the Birmingham Political Union?
To achieve more representation for industrial centres/towns/cities
Why did the ‘union’ of Ireland with Britain in 1800 create more problems than it solved for the British government?
It brought into sharp focus the issue of Catholic Emancipation – (Catholics since Penal Laws in 1691 were barred from sitting in Parliament)
Following the resignation of Lord Liverpool in 1827 how many PMs did the Tories have in less than a year?
3
Why was the issue of Catholic Emancipation explosive for the Tories?
It divided the party into ‘liberals’ and ‘ultras’ and Wellington wasn’t forgiven for seeing it through
When did Catholic Emancipation happen?
1829
Who led the Whigs to power in 1830?
Earl Grey
What was proposed in the 1831 reform bill by Grey’s government?
Disenfranchisement of 100 rotten and pocket boroughs and redistribution of seats to towns
Whose death in 1830 helped to bring about the Reform Act 1832 and why?
George IV because William IV was more pro reform
Why did the People of Bristol riot in 1831?
The Lords blocked the 2nd of Grey’s reform bills and the people of Bristol were angry
What final tactic did Earl Grey use to ensure the passage of his 3rd reform bill?
The prospect of creating 50 new Whig peers to counterbalance Tory dominance
What tactic did the middle-class use to pressure the government to enact reform?
Withdrawal of 1.8 million pounds from banks to destroy government finance
Why did the Tories capitulate in 1832 allowing the Reform Act to be passed?
The prospect of 50 new Whig peers to the House of Lords would permanently dilute the Tory dominance
What international event encouraged the British elite to consider reform of parliament?
July Revolution in France, 1830
How was Britain different to all the other European countries?
Had a system of parliamentary democracy - ‘bill of rights’
What was the problem with George III?
He was mentally unstable
Which house was more powerful in 1785?
Lords - could use their wealth to buy MPs to vote on their behalf
Patronage
Power to control appointments to high office
In 1761 how many MPS were financed by lords?
111
In 1801 how many MPs were financed by lords?
50% - patronage got worse not better
What allowed corruption and bribery to take place in 1785?
No secret ballot
In election in Liverpool in 1830 what did it cost 2 candidates in bribery?
Over £100,000
What did local land lords do?
Evict tenants if they did not vote what the lord wnated
What was the electorate like in 1831?
500,000 out of a total population of 24 million
. Only men could votes
. Industrial class not represented
What were MPs like in the commons?
Rich and wealthy
What % could vote in 1775
11%
How many English constituencies were there and how many members did they return in 1775?
. 245 English constituencies
. 489 members
How many Welsh constituencies were there and how many members did they return in 1775?
. 24 Welsh constituencies
. 1 members
How many Scottish constituencies were there and how many members did they return in 1775?
. 45 Scottish constituencies
. 1 members
Issue with boroughs
Some boroughs had no MPs even though they had hundreds of thousands of people
Corporation boroughs
Vote only to members of the corporation, usually a very small electorate
Corporation borough fact
Out of 26 boroughs, 26 had less than 50 voters
Scot and Lot
Vote to all male householders who paid local poor rates
How many voters did Westminster have compared to Gatton
. Westminster - 5000
. Gatton - only 6
Potwalloper
Males in households that had a hearth big enough to boil a pot
Burgage
Vote to owners of certain pieces of land or property usually with a small electorate
Freeholder
. Most common
. Vote went to all males who received the freedom of the city by inheritance, marrying the daughter or buying the right
Pocket borough
Small borough easily manipulated by the landowner
Old Sarum
Only had 7 voters
Rotten borough
Small town or hamlet now declined in stature - they were corrupt
What happened to Dunwich?
Fell into the sea
How many boroughs had fewer than 40 voters
56
Which industrial cities had no MPS
Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield
Rural shires elected ..
2 MPs
How many county MPs were there
122
What did people need to vote in a county?
Own a freehold property worth more than 40 shillings a year - as the value of money declined more voted in counties than boroughs
How many MPs from a county did England have and how did this compare to the rest of Britain?
England - 2 MPs
Ireland - 2 MPs
Scotland - 1 MP
Wales - 1 MP
Issue with counties
Counties had 2 MPs regardless of size of population
Bedfordshire had 2000 people where as Yorkshire has 20,000 - still only had 2 MPs
In Ireland how many were Catholic?
90%
Relief Act of 1793
Gave Catholic the right to vote in elections but not sit in parliament
When could Catholics become MPs?
Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829
What was the Scottish MP relationship like with Westminster?
They were at odds due to the Scottish under representation
What was not established which is common today?
Party loyalty as MPs often switched political allegiances or voted on issues according to their interests
Tories
. Wealthy land owners
. Opposed parliamentary reform
. More religiously tolerant than Whigs
. Supported the King
Whigs
. Wealthy land owners
. Members of aristocracy
. Restricted the power of the King
Radicals
. Handful of MPs
. Wanted reform of the political system
. Improvement for the working class
. Influenced by utilitarianism
How many different types of electoral systems were there in the borough
6
Who was unhappy with the 1785 parliamentary system?
. Catholics
. Irish, Scottish and Welsh
. Women
. North
. The poor
. Urban residents
Who was most in favour if the 1785 parliamentary system?
. South
. Men
. English
. Protestant
. Upper class
. Propertied class
. Rural residents
The American war of Independence
. Colonists had no representation
. Americans drafted Declaration of Independence
. High taxation there - Stamp Act
Causes of the French Revolution?
. Marie Antoinette had a yearly clothing allowance of millions of dollars
. 90% of peasants lived at or below subsistence level
. Luxury of the wealthy
. Admired success of American War of Independence
. Bourgeoise
. Enlightenment
Political consequences of France and America on Britain
Ideas of democracy and absolute monarchy over thrown
Economic consequences of France and America on Britain
Britain lost colonies, both wars costly for Britain
Social consequences of France and America on Britain
Spirit of enlightenment, united working classes in Britain and France, middle class see opportunity
What did Edmund Burke think of the French Revolution?
Against it as there was little consideration for the aftermath
What did Thomas Paine think of the French Revolution?
Defended the French Revolution and he wanted radical reform
Urged the establishment of democracy
What did ‘The Rights of Man’ by Paine question?
The traditional values of Britain and urged people to rebel against what he believed were generations of oppression
How many copies of ‘The Rights of Man’ by Paine were sold and what did this inspire?
200,000 - inspired campaign for reform
How serious was the threat to status quo in Britain from the French Revolution?
. Not that serious
. Unlike France they had a constitution
. Disliked the French and did not want to support their ideas
What happened to ‘The Rights of Man’ in 1792
It was banned
When was ‘The Rights of Man’ banned?
1792
When were the two French Revolutions?
1789 and 1830
The Cato Street conspiracy
1820 foiled attempt to assassinate the entire cabinet
Birmingham Political Union formation date and methods
. Formed in 1829
. Formed respectable societies peacefully Agitating for reform of the electoral system
What did Attwood do?
Gave speeches to crows of 200,000 emphasising the importance of the industrious classes
Who replaced George IV?
His more tolerant brother William IV
What happened to parliament when the new King took over?
. The King asked the Duke of Wellington to form a government
. He was against reform and quickly forced out
What happened after Wellington was forced out?
. The King asked the Whig, Earl Grey, to form a Government
. Charles Grey had tried to introduce a Reform Bill 40 yers before
What was public opinion like in the summer of 1831?
Massively reformist
What did Lord Gray introduce
3 bills to parliament (first 2 blocked), 3rd bill passed after he resigned and he used the threat of extra Whig peers
What happened in 1831?
Riot when parliament decided against reform
Riots in Bristol in 1831
. Some of the worst riots
. Public buildings and houses were set on fire
. More than £300,000 of damage
. 12 died
. 31 sentenced to death
What did the government fear in 1831?
Unless there was some reform there might be a revolution instead
Why did the threat of revolution subside in the 1820s?
Economic upturn
What did John Doherty do in the north of England
Founded a trade union for cotton spinners,
How was revolutionary spirit apparent - link to France
At the opening of the Manchester-Liverpool Railway ‘Tricolour flags’ were displayed
When was William Pitt the Younger PM?
1783 - youngest PM at 24 until 1801
Became PM again from 1804 until death in 1806
What did Lord Liverpool call for after Peterloo?
Repressive measures at domestic level to maintain order
What unpopular laws did Lord Liverpool bring in
. Corn laws
. Suspension of Habeus Corpus
What did Liverpool do from 1822 to 1827?
Improve social and economic reforms
Who did Lord Liverpool want to gain the support from and what did he do?
. Wanted the support of manufacturers and moderate reforms
. Repeal of the combination acts
When was Lord John Russell PM?
From 1846 to 1852 and again from 1863 to 1866
What did Lord John Russell do for reform?
One of the principal architects of the 1832 Reform Act and favoured expanding the right to vote to the middle class
What else did Lord John Russell advocate?
Catholic emancipation and repeal of the corn laws
When was Lord Wellington PM?
In 1834 and and again from 1828-1830
How did Lord Wellington feel about reform?
Very conservative and repressed reform
Lord Wellington and Catholics
Granted almost full civil rights to Catholics
When was George Canning PM?
1827
George Canning reform and Catholics
. Advocated Catholic emancipation
. Opposed parliamentary reform
What were the Tories like in the early 1830
. Weak
. 3 different leaders in a short period
. Strengthened Whigs cause
Why did Earl Grey want to extend the vote?
Increase his chance of attaining office
What made it harder to put down the middle class?
Use of speeches and persuasion so violence could not repress them
What did the government not want to do to the middle class?
Alienate them
What happened when the House of Lords blocked a reform bill?
Riots
‘Days of May’
Riots after Grey’s resignation
How did the middle class hurt the government?
Withdrew money from banks to destroy their finances - in two days more than £1.8 million was removed
What did the King promise Grey?
He would make Whig peers to pass reform
