Changing Political Attitudes: Cause Of The 1867 Reform Act Flashcards
Lord Palmerston
1859- the liberals were returned to power under lord Palmerston who’s main priority was foreign policy and he was against democracy so reform was the off the agenda in the 1860’s
MP John Bright
Founded the anti-corn law league in 1839 and opposed Britain’s role in the Crimean war and in 1858 he carried out a series of public speeches aimed at reform and he projected the rights of working class people
The American civil war
The economic prosperity of Britain thrived in the 1860’s party due to the textile industries in the north west (1861-65) however the outbreaks of civil war in USA in 1861 which led to the cotton famine where thousands of workers were laid off
How much work did Lancashire provide
355000
What was the size of the population of Britain in 861
31 million- the majority whom lived in the industrial towns and cities under the borough electoral rules and many of them couldn’t vote
What did lord Russel propose in 1852 to extend the franchise
That the existing borough qualification should be decreased from £10 to £6
How many times was lord Russel’s bill of 1852 rejected by parliament
3
What was the main reason that measures to extend the franchise in the 1850’s were defeated
An underlying fear of the working class becoming enfranchised and voting for the liberals
What reform measure did the Conservative party offer in 1859
To retain the existing borough franchise and extend it into the counties
What was the law passed n 1858 that enhanced the democratic process
The removal of property qualifications for MPs
When did the American civil war begin and end
1861-1865
How did lord Palmerston refer to the working class
The residuum
Party rivalry
After the defeat of the liberal bill in 1866 the tories saw their chance to seize political momentum and won the election with a small minority.
Disraeli introduced a reform bill in 1867 assuming that his party would support if it was going to keep the whigs out of government and it was eventually passed in 1867
The role of William Gladstone
His visit to Lancashire cotton mills during the cotton famine gave him the chance to reasses his opinion of the working classes so he reinvented himself as a popular politician
His bill in 1866 was designed to enfranchise the ‘respectable’ working population - cautious in giving the vote to 1 in 4 men rather than 1 in 5 - right wing whigs reacted badly and sided with the tories to defeat it in June
Role of Benjamin Disraeli
1804-81 - saw political reform as a vote winner for the conservatives and a personal victory in his own career
Reform league
Formed in 1865 it pressed for complete manhood suffrage . It attracted trade unionists and ex-Chartists and was a mainly working class organisation 400 branches by 1867
Role of robert peel
Moderniser of the Tory part with his ‘Tamworth manifesto 1834 - The main aim of the manifesto was to appeal to the electorate in the new Parliament. Peel accepted that the Reform Act 1832 was “a final and irrevocable settlement of a great constitutional question”. He promised that the Conservatives would support moderate reform and correction of proved grievances
Hyde park riots
23rd July 1866 a reform league demonstration which started as a peaceful protest it became an unruly mob that lasted two days and troops had to be called out to restore order
Respectable working class
The working classes had become influenced by Victorian values of hard work and self help which middle classes highly approved of
National reform union
Formed in 1864 led by wealthy Manchester merchants, industrialists and radical MPs. Respectable and attractive to the intellectual elite of the liberal party and its aims were to persuade the gov. To extend the franchise to that of a household suffrage, distribute seats more evenly and bring in secret ballots
By 1867, 150 branches had been set up
Death of lord Palmerston
His success in securing British interests in the world gave him the power to block further parliamentary reform as prime minister and in his opinion it would bring ‘scum’ to the top
His death in 1865 then gave way to a more reformist PM, lord Russell who introduced a reform bill in 1866 under Gladstone
