Life in Britain by 1763 Flashcards
Which revolution had limited the monarch’s power by 1688?
The Glorious Revolution
Who was King from 1760 to 1820?
George III
What was the population of Britain by 1760?
7.5 million
How many reasonably wealth males were entitled to vote in the 1761 election?
215,000
Who usually determined who would stand as candidates in elections?
Rich landowners
What types of cities weren’t represented in Parliament?
The new, industrial cities of the North and Midlands
What evidence suggests most MPs weren’t independent?
1/2 owed their seats to patrons. 1/3 held offices or honours under the government.
What were the two major political parties?
The Whigs
The Tories
What did the Whig Party promote?
- Government by consent of the people
- Resistance against arbitrary rule
- Inviolability of the individual’s fundamental rights
Why did Whiggism by 1760 have little real meaning?
Everyone who mattered politically was a Whig, it was more of a broad based political establishment
Why did politics become factionalised in the 1760s?
Due to the Tory Party’s lack of influence many members joined the Whigs which divided opinion
What was the outcome of factional politics in the 1760s?
Ministries found it hard to command majorities leading to political instability.
