Growing demand for reform 1780-1830

Question 1

William Pitt

Answer 1

• Prime minister
• 1785 - offered to buy out 36 small seats and transfer them to small counties and London
• defeated on the issue

Question 2

Impact of the French revolution

Answer 2

• sparked serious interest for reform
• reformist ideas become widespread
• LCS formed in 1792 due to works of Payne

Question 3

post war unrest

Answer 3

• end of war with france in 1815
• growing unemployment and economic distress
• made worse by introduction of Corn Law
• led to many popular protests such as Spa Fields and Peterloo

Question 4

Catholic emancipation

Answer 4

• well-organised campaign in Ireland for Catholics to be given full political rights
• fearing outbreak of full-scale revolution tories passed the Act of Catholic Emancipation
• allowed Roman Catholics the right to become MPs
• led to divide within the tories

Question 5

Duke of Wellington

Answer 5

• PM from 1828 - 1830
• did not want any reform to parliament
• he was not keeping up with tide of opinion

Question 6

King William IV

Answer 6

• death of King George IV necessitated a general election
• due to poor harvests, rising unemployment and air of reform, Tory party suffered huge losses
• new king was more sympathetic to the Whigs

Question 7

Political unions

Answer 7

• creation in 1830 of BPU (Birmingham Political Union)
• Attwood intended to bring together new m/c and skilled w/c
• united by parliamentary reform

Question 8

reform and the middle classes

Answer 8

• most of property owning m/c didn’t support radical campaign
• wanted vote for ‘respectable citizens’ like themselves
• new m/c factory owners, bankers, merchants etc demanding more of a say