Chapter 24 - The condition of Britain by 1885 Flashcards
What was the population of Britain by 1885?
Around 35 million
What percentage of the population were in receipt of poor relief in 1834?
8.8%
What percentage of the population were in receipt of poor relief in 1885?
3.2%
Who gained the vote under the 1884 Franchise Act?
All male householders over 21 and all £10 lodgers (in the counties), as well as those who met a £10 occupier franchise if they lived in shops or offices
What did the 1884 Franchise Act do to the franchise in counties and boroughs?
Made it equal in counties and boroughs
How many seats were redistributed via the 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act?
142
What were the terms of the 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act?
Boroughs with a population of under 15,000 lost both MPs, boroughs with a population under 50,000 lost one MP
What was the National Liberation Federation?
The radical wing of the Liberal party
What two types of worker were brought into the franchise in 1884?
Agricultural labourers and rural miners
When was the National Liberation Federation founded?
1877
What did the National Liberation Foundation pressure for?
The extension of the franchise to working men in the countryside
What was the size of the franchise before and after 1884?
3 million before, 6 million after
What did the 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act bring an end to?
The over-representation of rural areas and under-representation of industrial towns and cities
What occurred for the first time in the 1874 election?
Two working-class candidates became MPs
What percentage of the adult population was without a vote by 1885?
Around 70% (including women)
What role could women fill after 1875?
Poor Law guardians
What percentage of the adult male population was paupers by 1885?
12%
What 3 significant male groups still didn’t have the vote in 1885 because of the property qualification?
Adult sons living at home, live-in servants and paupers
What was a problem with the electoral system by 1885 which prevented many, especially working-class, men who were entitled to vote from voting?
Many who were entitled to vote couldn’t as they had no documentation to prove their qualification, so they couldn’t get on the electoral register
What was a period of marked economic downturn in the 1880s?
1882-1886
What was a Royal Commission set up to investigate in 1885?
The Depression of Industry and Trade
What did the 1885 Royal Commission on the Depression of Industry and Trade report?
That agricultural prices had been falling since 1873 and continued to do so, that in many cases in British manufacturing supply outstripped demand, that foreign competition was a growing problem but that overall there were promising signs for British industry
What were 5 features of the Victorian ‘mass society’ which had begun to emerge by 1885?
- Mass politics
- Mass consumption
- Mass unionism
- Mass education
- Mass production
What was still a dominant feature of Victorian society by 1885?
The class system
Was total social mobility possible by 1885?
No- it was possible to move from the working to the middle class, but very rare to move into the upper classes, unless via marriage or exceptional wealth creation
Who still largely governed Britain in 1885?
The landed aristocracy, although some with industrial wealth had moved into this group
Where did the Conservatives tend to come from by 1885?
The landowning classes
Where did the Liberals tend to come from by 1885?
The professions, commerce and industry