Chapter 5 - Political pressures on government Flashcards
When was a republic first declared in France?
September 1792
When did the French Revolution begin with the storming of the Bastille?
14th July 1789
When did Edmund Burke publish ‘Reflection of the Revolution in France’?
1790
Who published ‘The Rights of Man’?
Tom Paine
When was ‘The Rights of Man’ published?
1791
When was the Society of the Friends of the People founded by a group of reformists?
1792
When was Thomas Hardy’s London Corresponding Society formed?
1792
When in the 1790s was Habeas Corpus suspended?
1794
When were the Treasonable Practices Act and Seditious Meetings Act introduced?
1795
Where were there Naval mutinies in 1797?
Spithead and Nore
Who was there a revival of political activity from in Britain following the French Revolution?
Middle class radicals
What was the main argument that Asa Briggs made about the effects of the French Revolution in Britain?
That its main effect was to make the government take a step backwards from reform and switch towards repression
What 3 reasons did Asa Briggs give for British reformists failing following the French Revolution?
- The feelings of the majority outweighed the influence of the radicals
- Events in France upset decent minded people and made them fear reform
- Supporters of the established order were well organised and, through their own societies, able to convince the public that radical activities were against the country’s best interests
What was the reaction of Pitt when he first heard of the French Revolution?
That it would preoccupy the French so that they couldn’t go to war- he was cautious, but not alarmed
What was the reaction of Fox and the Whigs when they heard of the French Revolution?
They hailed it as a victory for democracy and freedom, and viewed it as a French version of Britain’s 1688 Glorious Revolution
Why did Protestant dissenters welcome the French Revolution?
They believed that it might open the way to more religious tolerance and end the discrimination against themselves
What did Edmund Burke warn of in 1790?
That the revolution would end in bloodshed
What party did Edmund Burke belong to?
Whigs
What was the initial reaction to Burke’s warning in 1790?
Whilst some aristocrats agreed with him, they were a minority and most mocked Burke for a perceived overreaction
What did Paine say in ‘The Rights of Man’?
He rebuffed Burke, saying that the Revolution was a triumph for the ordinary man
Called for: political reform, a reduction in the influence and privileges of the aristocracy, meritocratic system of advancement and a government welfare system
What was an example of a political reform which Paine called for in ‘The Rights of Man’?
Universal male suffrage
Who were Paine’s most eager audience?
The self-educated, skilled artisan class
What did members of corresponding societies in the 1790s generally want?
Political reform and lower taxes
Why did Paine flee to France?
He was charged with seditious libel for republican views in ‘The Rights of Man’
When and why were the Friends of France attacked in Birmingham?
July 1791, possibly due to government agents provocateurs stirring up a mob
What were the September Massacres of 1792?
The deaths of thousands of prisoners in Paris who were suspected of being counter-revolutionaries
What was the general reaction to the September massacres in Britain?
Revulsion, except among radicals and convicted reformers
What did the Edict of Fraternity of November 1792 promise?
French assistance to any nation which rose against their sovereign
Who did France invade in November 1792?
The Austrian Netherlands
When were King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed?
January 1793
When did Britain first declare war on France in the 1790s?
January 1793
What and when was Pitt’s first repressive policy?
In May 1792 he issued an order against ‘seditious writings’
What followed the order against seditious writings in 1792?
The extension of magistrates’ powers and the arrest and punishment of reformers
What type of government did the French Revolution initially set up?
A constitutional monarchy
What happened in May 1794?
The most prominent leaders of radical reform societies, including Thomas Hardy, were tried for treason but acquitted
When was the Aliens act passed?
1793
Why was the Aliens act passed?
To prevent any French Republicans entering Britain
How was the 1794 suspension of Habeas Corpus justified?
Firm measures had to be taken to guarantee the safety of the King
When were Corresponding societies and the Society of United Irishmen banned?
1799
What happened to the press in the late 1790s?
They were censored and forbidden to report on riots and unrest
How did Pitt respond to the 1797 naval mutinies?
He hung the ringleaders
When in the late 1790s was a paper currency introduced to Britain?
1797
What happened at Aylesbury Market in Buckinghamshire?
A mob seized farmers’ wheat and sold it at a cheaper price
How long had Ireland been under British rule?
Since the 13th century
When and where was the Society of United Irishmen formed?
October 1791 in Belfast
When was the Irish Parliament granted legislative independence after unrest in Ireland?
1782
What were the majority of Ireland’s population in the 1790s?
Catholic and of the peasant class
Who had most of Ireland’s land been granted to by the 1790s?
English protestant settlers
Who were most Irish tenants of by the 1790s?
Largely absentee landlords who were members of the aristocracy
How were the small Irish Presbyterian class hampered in the 1790s?
They were denied civil rights and their businesses were hampered by unfair trading restrictions and taxation
Where did the small Irish Presbyterian class live in the 1790s?
Belfast
What was the aim of the Society of United Irishmen?
To establish a democracy in Ireland through parliamentary reform and seek equal rights for men of any religion
Who was one prominent founder of the Society of United Irishmen?
Wolfe Tone
What did Wolfe Tone believe?
That the ascendancy would have to be ousted if Presbyterians were to gain freedom to pursue their own interests
What did the Catholic Relief Act of 1793 do?
Allowed Catholics to vote, but not become MPs
When did Pitt try to implement Catholic Emancipation, only to be forced to drop it by fierce opposition from the King?
1795
When was the Orange Society formed?
1795
What was the Orange Society?
A Protestant secret society
What percentage of the Irish population was Catholic in 1800?
90%
What was Wolfe Tone involved in the planning of in 1797-8?
French Landings in Ireland to overthrow the government
How did the Irish Rebellion go?
The French landings failed , Wolfe Tone was captured, and on shore the poorly armed and organised United Irishmen were overwhelmed by government troops
When was the Irish Rebellion, led by Wolfe Tone?
1798
What did the failed 1798 Irish rebellion make clear to Pitt?
That a Protestant-dominated Irish Parliament could no longer maintain stability, and that he needed to carry out his plan for union with Ireland
What happened to Wolfe Tone after the Irish Rebellion?
He cut his throat in prison before his trial, and died a few days later
What 2 issues did Pitt have to consider in order to bring Ireland into the British political system?
- He would have to persuade the Dublin Parliament to accept fewer seats in Westminster (100 MPs compared to 300 in Dublin)
- He would have to promise Catholic Emancipation in order to avoid another uprising
How were the Irish Protestants persuaded to accept the Act of Union with Ireland?
Honours, appointments and pensions
How were the Presbyterians persuaded to accept the Act of Union with Ireland?
Promises of concessions for their linen trade
Why did Pitt resign for the first time?
As a matter of principle due to King George’s refusal to grant Catholic Emancipation
When did Pitt resign for the first time?
16th February 1801
What did dissenters like Richard Price criticise in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?
The established church, the political establishment and the influence and values of the aristocracy
What new radical movement did the 1790s see the rise of?
Popular radicalism
Who were inspired to join radical societies by ‘The Rights of Man’?
Groups of artisans from London and the industrial towns and cities of Scotland and the North of England
What took place in Edinburgh in 1793?
A series of trials against a group of prominent reformers for writing and circulating seditious literature
What happened to those put on trial in Edinburgh in 1793?
The leaders, among them Thomas Muir, were sentenced to transportation to Australia
Why did the rise of popular radicalism in the 1790s cause alarm?
It had never been thought that the lower orders could have any right to a political existance
What catalysed machine breaking in Lancashire in 1808?
The failure to secure a Minimum Wages Bill
What two groups where created within the Whigs by the French Revolution?
The pro-Revolution Whigs, led by Fox, and the anti-Revolution Whigs, who moved their support to Pitt as more details of the Revolution were discovered
Who was rewarded with the position of Home Secretary for being an anti-revolution Whig?
The Duke of Portland
What cleared the way for Tory ascendancy in the early 19th century?
The disintegration of the Whig party due to differences of opinion over the French Revolution
What Bill did Pitt propose in 1785 to do with political reform?
A Bill to redistribute seats from several rotten boroughs to Northern counties and London
What happened to Pitt’s proposed political reform bill of 1785?
It was defeated, and Pitt abandoned any ideas of reform due to the King’s disapproval
Who formed the Society of the Friends of the People to promote equal representation?
Charles Grey
What happened when Grey put forward a bill for Parliamentary Reform in 1793?
It was defeated by 282 votes to 41
What movement emerged in the 1780s (politically)?
A moderate movement for parliamentary reform, calling for universal male suffrage and annual parliaments, run mainly by middle-class, intellectual radicals
How did the French Revolution affect the progress of the movement for parliamentary reform?
Helped- because of a surge of interest and support from middle-class men, artisans and shopkeepers- but also hindered, because the violence of the revolution made the government clamp down on the reformers due to suspicion over their motives
What helped dilute the effectiveness of the movement for Parliamentary reform in the late 18th century?
The range of interests of radical groups being too broad
