History - British politics Flashcards
What is a constituency?
An area in a country which is represented by an MP (e.g Cheltenham)
What were the two main parties in the 18th and 19th century?
Whigs and Tories
How often did elections happen?
At least once every 7 years
What is a rotten borough?
A borough where a small population lives on land owned by a local landowner. The people there were bribed to vote for the person the landowner wanted and they would often sell their vote to the highest bidder.
What is democracy?
A type of government where the power rests in the people (usually through MPs)
When was the war against France?
1795-1815
What did the war against France cause?
Rise in unemployment and taxes
What percentage of men could vote in 1819?
2%
When was the Peterloo massacre?
16th August 1819
Where was the Peterloo massacre?
St Petersfield, Manchester
What was the Peterloo massacre?
It was a peaceful protest for universal suffrage gone wrong. There were 60,000 men, women, and children there. The local police got scared it would turn into a revolution. They brutally attacked anyone in their path.
Who led the protest leading to the Peterloo massacre?
Henry Hunt
What happened as a result of the Peterloo massacre?
Henry Hunt was jailed for 2 years. 600 were injured, 15 were killed.
When was the original version of the Great Reform Act approved?
1832
Who were the Chartists?
They were a group of protesters who wanted the six points of the people’s charter.
Name the six points of the people’s charter
- All men 21+ can vote
- Secret ballot
- You don’t need to own property to be an MP
- Anyone can be an MP and MPs are paid
- Equal constituencies (equal amount of representation)
- Annual parliamentary elections
What were the two groups fighting for women’s suffrage called?
The Suffragettes and the Suffragists
When did Mary Richardson damage the Rokeby Venus?
10th March 1914
What painting did Mary Richardson damage in august 1914?
The Rokeby Venus
Name one leading figure from the Suffragettes
Emmeline Pankhurst
Name one leading figure from the Suffragists
Millicent Fawcett
What are some of the things Suffragettes did for their campaign?
Got arrested on purpose, smashed windows, set fire to post boxes, cut telephone wires, destroyed artwork, went on hunger strikes in prison, bombed churches.
What are some of the things Suffragists did for their campaign?
Lobbying, debates, meetings with parliament members, wrote letters and appeals.
What was the Suffragettes motto?
Deeds not words
What were the suffragists compared to?
An iceberg/glacier - slow but powerful.
Name 2 things women did to help the war effort.
Worked in ammunition factories, joined the land army, became nurses, took almost all jobs that men previously held, persuaded men to go to war, joined women’s navy, army and air force.
When was the Representation of the People Act first introduced?
1918 (gave all men over 21 and most women over 30 the right to vote)
When were all men and women over 21 given the right to vote (even without property)?
1928
When was the WSPU established?
October 1903
What does WSPU stand for?
Women’s social and political union
When did British government begin to think about electoral reforms because of soldiers limitations on voting?
1915
When did the suffragists begin to reason that war effort was reliant on women and they should be rewarded with the vote?
1916
