Growth Of Parliamentary Democracy Flashcards
Constitution definition
A collection of fundamental principles on which a state organises its government
What did freeholder mean
A similar franchise to counties
When was the publication of “rights of man”
1792
What years were the Napoleonic wars
1793-1815
What was the pre reform rules for counties
Each counties elected 2 MPs to Westminster. To be an MP there was a requirement of ownership of a freehold property worth more than 40 shillings a year.
What was the problem with the pre reform rules for counties with example
Each county elected 2 MPs regardless of their size - in 1800 Bedfordshire had a population of 2000 while Yorkshire had a population of 20,000 yet they still had the same number of MPs
What was 1 similarity and 1 difference between counties and boroughs
Counties were rural shires in Britain whereas boroughs were urban towns
They both elected 2 MPs
What were the 6 types of borough
- Corporation
- Freeman
- Scot and lot
- Burgage
- Potwalloper
- Freeholder
What were the rules for corporation boroughs
Only members of the town council could vote
What were the rules for freemen boroughs
Anyone with a status of “freeman” could vote. This title was either inherited or acquired through marriage and was bestowed if the recipient had received an honour from the local corporation or served as an apprentice in the borough
What were the rules for “Scot and lot” boroughs
Anyone who paid poor rates could vote
What were the rules for burgage boroughs
“Burgage” was an ancient form of rent and the owner of property with this rent could vote
What were the rules for a “potwalloper” borough
Households who had a hearth that was big enough enough to boil a pot could vote
What were the rules for freeholder boroughs
A similar franchise as the counties
What was a secret ballot
A method where you could vote in private anonymously.
What was a pocket borough
A small borough which could easily be manipulated or controlled by the prominent family or landowner by coercion or bribery
How much was the pocket borough of Gatton in survey sold for at auction in 1801 just so the owner didn’t have to stand for election against a rival
£90,000
What was a rotten borough + an example
A small town or hamlet that used to be prominent in the Middle Ages but he over time declined in stature. Despite their reduced status they still retained their 2 MPs because of their past importance
Borough of Old Sarum, north of Salisbury, which by the late 1700 had all but disappeared but still had 2 MPs
Dun-which, coats of Suffolk, had 14 voters and only 32 dwelling but still had 2 MPs
In 1831 which were 2 growing cities that still had no representation
Manchester had more than 182000
Birmingham had 144000
What were the Gordon riots
Anti catholic riots that took place in 1780 to reduced catholic discrimination in Britain
In 1785 the PM William Pitt proposed what and what was the outcome.
To disenfranchise 36 of the worst boroughs and to redistribute their seats to larger counties but was defeated by 74 votes in the commons
By 1793 how many copies of Burks, “ rights of man,” were there
200,000
In 1792 how many signatures did the Sheffield Society have calling for manhood suffrage
10,000
When was the Treason Act passed and what did it mean
1795 allowed the death penalty for treasonable activity
When was the Peterloo massacre
16th August 1819
Who was the main speaker at the Peterloo massacre
Henry Hunt
How many people attended the Peter loo massacre and what was the casualty rate
60,000 attended
18 killed
400 wounded
What was the “six acts”
Passed in December 1819
- Prohibited any meetings for military style drilling
- Gave magistrates more power to search for weapons
- Banned any meeting of more than 50 people without consent of a magistrate
- Protected magistrates from consequences if people were injured in crowd dispersals
- Increased penalties for writing seditious material
- Increased stamp duties on pamphlets inciting discontent
Why was the corn law viewed so negatively
The law prohibited the import of foreign corn until the price of domestic corn reached ten shillings a bushel but this just pushed the prices of bread up.
How much did GNP and manufacturing increase between 1821 and 1829
GNP grew by 16.8%
Manufacturing grew by 25%
What happened to Whig leader Lord John Russel in 1822
He sought to introduce a bill designed to disenfranchise 100 rotten boroughs and redistribute the seats to growing cities but there was no government support and it failed by a large majority
By 1827 how long had the Tory party and lord Liverpool been in power
15 years
In 1827 after Lord Liverpool had a stroke how many different leader did the Tory party have in 11 months
3
When was the first reform act published and what was its significance
1832
- 56 boroughs were disenfranchised completely
- 30 boroughs losing one of their two MPs
- 42 new borough constituencies were created
What did the 1832 reform act change for boroughs and counties
Counties- vote was given to men who owned land worth £10 a year or reneged land worth £50 a year in addition to the 40 shilling freeholder
Boroughs- vote was made uniform and given to adult males who either owned or rented property worth £10 a year
Under the new 1832 reform act what did the electorate increase to
366,000 to 650,000 which was approx 18% of the adult male population in England and Wales alone
What was the divide of MPs between the rural south and industrial north
South- 370 MPs
North- 120 MPs
What were the aims of the Chartists
- Equal representation
- Universal manhood suffrage for those over 21 years old
- Annual parliaments
- The removal of property qualification for MPs
- Secret ballot
- Payment of MP
What year was the People charter first published and who by
Founded in 1836 William Lovett and attracted other men like Henry Hetherington and Thomas Atwood. Published its manifesto in 1838
What was the physical force vs moral force in Chartism (2 examples for each)
Men like William Lovett and Thomas Atwood were moral force Chartists and they thought that parliament would respond best to pamphlets and petitions
Men like Fergus O’Connor, James Bronterre O’brien thought a direct challenge would be more efficient and wanted a general strike or armed revolution
How many signatures did the petition that the Chartists present to parliament have
1,280,958 in May 1839
How many constabels were stationed for the Chartists demonstration at Kennington Common on 10th of April
150,000
What is hunger politics
This is where when their is economic hardship their is more unrest
When was the Ten hour movement passed
1847
When was the corn law repealed
1846
What was the population increase from 1821 to 1861
24 million to more than 31 million
What did William Gladstone do to integrate some of the working class into the electorate
Reduced the borough franchise to a proposed £7 a year, this was expected to enfranchise more than 200,000 skilled workers who would primarily be liberal voters
In the counties the £50 a year rental qualification would be reduced to £14 which would encourage 170,000 liberal voters.
What was the Hyde Park Riots
Following the failure of the 1866 reform bill the reform league resolved to hold a political meeting in Hyde park on 23rd of July 1866 to discuss future action in the campaign for reform. The meeting was declared illegal and their was a clash with the police.
What were the provisions of the second reform act
- 45 seats were taken from boroughs with less than 10,000 people; seven were completely disenfranchised
- 25 of theses seats went to the counties; 20 went to new boroughs, 6 existing boroughs got an extra seat
- The franchise was extend to include in the boroughs all male householder provided they had lived there for at least a year
What was the immediate impact of the 1867 act
Electoral defeat for Disraeli in 1868
Why was it harder for the political system to be corrupted after 1867
There were more than 2.46 million voters
What had the size of the electorate increase to after the 2nd reform act
One third of the adult male population
