Timed Essay 1 Flashcards
Introduction
Britain was an undemocratic country before 1851. Women, the working class, the middle class, and the poor did not have the right to vote. There was also widespread corruption in the British political system and voting was done publicly. Society started to challenge this in 1851. This essay will discuss how WW1, the industrial revolution, pressure groups and developments abroad led to Britain becoming a more democratic country. This essay will argue that the industrual revolution was the most important reason why Britain became more democratic.
WWI - Information 1
During WWI, there had been plans to change rules regarding male suffrage as many men returning home from war could have potentially found themselves disqualified from voting due to the residence qualifications.
WWI - Information 2
Additionally, women took over traditionally male jobs (e.g working in factories to make weapons) during the war as many men were out on the battlefield and couldn’t fulfill their previous jobs.
WWI - Important
It could be argued that WW1 was important in making Britain more democratic because it would have been impossible for the governemnt to force men to fight and then deny them the vote. Women were also given the vote as a “thank you” for their war effort since they had proved to the government that they were worthy of the vote.
WWI - Not Most Important
However, it could be argued that WWI was not the most important factor in making Britain more democratic because men had fought in wars previously, such as the Boer war, and weren’t given the vote afterwards.
Along with this many of the women who did the important war work were single and under 30, the very women who were not given the vote after WWI.
WWI - Evaluation
Overall, WWI was a significant factor in making Britain more democratic because it made the government consider, and later follow through with, the idea of giving more people in Britain the vote as they refused to promise “homes for heroes” to soldiers coming back from war yet democratically, citizens were able to decide how the country was being operated. However, it is not as important as the Industrial Revolution as ultimately more people were made aware of political news and reform through the extension of railways (newspaper production increases and politicians and political campaigners could travel the country) and the growing awareness of the middle class, which led to the government giving more people the vote.
Industrial Revolution - Information 1
The second factor to be discussed is the Industrial Revolution. During the industrial revolution, the working class became more aware of their position in society. They realised that they were wealth creators but somehow held to power at all to make change. There was thousands of people in cities that were in this situation. They realised that if they united together, they might be able to make change.
Industrial Revolution - Information 2
Along with this, railways in Britain grew - going from 7360km of track in 1848 to 45.3 million in 1911. This new railway network throughout Britain gave politicians and political campaigners the opportunity to travel across the country in order to spread their message. This growth also lead to a massive increase in newspaper production and sales because newspapers could be delivered across Britain which allowed people to read about politics and change.
Industrial Revolution - Important
It could be argued that the industrial revolution was important in making Britain more democratic because the working class became more aware of their lack of power and called for change. Furthermore, the growth of railways meant people became more politically engaged since they had been educated on politics.
Industrial Revolution - Not Important
However, it could be argued that the industrial revolution was not the most important reason in making Britain more democratic as the industrial revolution began in the 1750s and ended in the 1850s which is almost 100 years before equal voting was achieved in Britain.
Industrial Revolution - Evaluation
Overall, the industrial revolution was the most important factor in making Britain more democratic as it lead to an increase in the political engagement in Britain. Railways growth meant newspapers were being spread around which educated people on issues affecting them and ultimately lead to action and the working and middle class working together to try and get the vote.
Pressure Groups - Information 1
The third factor to be discussed is pressure groups. In 1864, the National Reform Union formed to promote the idea of joint interest between the working class and the middle class. They argued that their aims were similar as they both wanted the vote but neither were politically represented. They campaigned for a secret ballot and votes for all rate-payers.
Pressure Groups - Information 2
Thirty-three years later, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was established to coordinate the women’s suffrage societies that had been emerging at a local level. The suffragists wanted to gain women the vote and used peaceful methods of protests. They had 53,000 members by 1914.
Pressure Groups - Important
It could be argued that pressure groups were important in making Britain more democratic because they helped to bring democratic issues to public attention and they gave people that couldn’t vote a chance to have political influence. In addition, groups like the suffragists gained the support of politicians because of their peaceful tactics.
Pressure Groups - Not Important
On the other hand, it could be argued that pressure groups were no the most important factor in making Britain more democratic because groups like the Reform League and Suffragettes used more radical and violent methods to put pressure on the government and protest which meant that the Government discredited them and felt that they were undeserving of the vote. Alltogether, it could be said that they damaged their cause instead of furthering it.
