Parliamentary Democracy Flashcards
Describe 1780 parliament
-only men over 30, literate, usually land and money could vote
-unequal constituencies
-unreformed gov
-archaic
-house of Lords and King was more important
Give reasons for continuing unreformed system
-the poor could become too powerful
-cause more political uprisings
-gov was so corrupt if they tried to reform = collapse
-the MPs and rich would be angry - lose money and power
Reasons for reform
-poor representation of classes who vote
-40,000 men/13.89m
-MC wanted reform
-public voting - ‘lambs’ and ‘cooping’
-rotten boroughs
-all MPs are rich
Names of constituencies
Counties and Boroughs
What are boroughs and why were they unfair
Important country towns and granted a Royal Charter
number of voters and MPs varied, some large cities and decaying villages, new industrial towns had no MPs
What were the types of boroughs
Rotten
Pocket
Scot and lot
Potwalloper
Corporation
Freeman
Over … % of corporation boroughs had fewer than … voters
90%, 50
What was the purpose of the Rights of Man and who wrote it
-book responding to Burke’s ‘Reflections’ which attacked the French Revolution
-by Thomas Paine
What were Paine’s beliefs
-votes for all and liberty
-supported American war
-modernist view
-why force people under law if they can’t vote for who they want?
What is a modernist view
Alignment with the experience and values of modern industrial life
What were Burke’s views
-supported American war indirectly
-supported reform and right to vote and Paine’s belief
-Liberal at first but reacts badly to violence - doesn’t want people destroying social bases
-views people as Swinish multitude
What had happened in Paris which caused British pessimism toward reform
The French Revolution became very violent and Destructive with frequent executions from the Great Terror
Why was Thomas Paine imprisoned in France
Accused of being a royalist
What was Burke’s argument
-The public are capable of rising up but need to wait and educate them before change
-The system is so old it clearly works
What was Paine’s argument
-The government doesn’t represent the public - hereditary
Need to create something more -stable and less corrupt
Why did the middle class want reform before the French revolution
Resentment amongst ruling elites as their policies could start war, affect trade and restrict market with whom they trade
What became more politicised from the 1780s and why
Clubs, discussion, groups and societies due to newspaper increase
What did William Pitt propose to do which failed
Disenfranchise 36 of the worst boroughs
What was set up by the MC with members from ‘respectable classes’ and when
‘Yorkshire Association’ and ‘Society for Constitutional Information’
1780
Why did Yorkshire Association and Society for Constitutional Information fail
Lacked widespread support
People opposed radical cause
Why did the unreformed system last for so long
-French Revolution
-ruling elite remained united
-no revolutionary or united protest movement
-lacked major economic problems
-under Lord Liverpool there was repression
What did Burke’s ‘Reflections’ say which became the Tories’ prominent view
moderate reform could lead to violent revolution
what were the Tories’ views
-reform would increase social tension by setting country against town and land against industry
-Britain was prosperous under the current system so why change it
What did Lord Liverpool and Robert Peel do
resist reform
what were the Whigs’ views
-supported moderate reform but not revolutionaries
-not democrats
-they would gain more votes if they supported MC’s rights to vote
when was the London Corresponding Society formed and by who
1792, Thomas Hardy
How many members did the LCS claim they had in the 1790s and how many did they actually have
5000, 1000
What made the LCS successful
-cost a penny a week to join - ‘open to all’
-largest society with thousands of supporters at open air meetings between 1793-95 - Copenhagen
-distanced themselves from violence - meetings and pamphlets
How many people went to the Copenhagen Fields demonstration and in what year?
100,000, October 1795
when was the Sheffield Society for Constitutional Information formed
1791
How many signatures did the Sheffield society for constitutional information raise, when and for what cause
-10,000
-1792
-male suffrage
How was the ‘Rights of Man’ successful
200,000 copies were sold in 1792
How was the ‘Rights of Man’ unsuccessful
-charged with treason in 1792
-ideas were never taken up by radical societies
How did the end of the Napoleonic wars increase demands for reform from 1815
-end of the war removed obstacle of gov linking radicalism to the French revolution
-stimulated revival of radical activity
How did economic problems increase demands for reform
-national debt increased from £238 mil to £902 mil
-700 ironworkers lost their jobs
-increased indirect tax and abolished income tax in 1816 - targeting poor
How did the 1815 Corn Law prohibiting import of foreign corn increase demands
bread was more expensive for workers
How much did poor relief increase by
£2m in 1775 to £8m by 1817
what did Hampden clubs and Union societies do
-edecuate worker-
-campaign peacefully for universal suffrage through mass petitions
how many signatures did Cartwright gain from Hampden clubs and Union societies
130,000 sigs on 430 petitions
by 1821 what percentage of Britons were under 15 and concentrated in industrial towns
48%
how did population growth cause increase in protest demands
-unempoyment
-younger population more likely to accept radical views
who was losing support and challenging the government
the manufactering interest (particularly in the north) and workers in industrial areas
how did the growth of radical newspapers encourage demands for reform
encouraged people to make the connection between economic distress, misgovernment and need for political reform
How much was the Weekly Political Register and what did this create
2d, large working-class audience
who published the Weekly Political Register and when
William Cobbett, November 1816
Who was Henry Hunt and what did he do
-wealthy landowner who was fed up of corrupt political system
-organised mass meetings
why was Lord Liverpool unpopular
-his administration was characterized by self-interested policies
-heavy handed approach towards protest = resentment and more protest
what did William Pitt do after the french declaration of war in 1793
crushed radical activity to avoid revolution - ‘Reign of Terror’
what did the government rely on in 1790-93
magistrates to discourage radical action
what established in 1793 and why
an Alien Section and Secret Service to infiltrate secret societies
why was Thomas Parmer sentenced to 7 years’ transportation
encouraging people to read ‘the rights of man’
what 3 acts were passed to stop reform
-Habeas Corpus suspended in 1794 (political prisoners can be held indefinitely)
-Two Acts passed in 1795 (Treasonable and Seditious Meetings Act)
-Combinations Act
who were the loyalists and what did they do
-people who recognised Britain’s prosperity and improvements in society e.g Poor Laws
-used violence and intimidation to crush threats posed to the Church by dissenters
what was the most famous loyalist group, when was set up and how many branches
-Association for Preserving Liberty and Property against Republicans and Levellers
-1792
-2000
what were the Tory Party’s policies in 1815-21
The Corn Law, 1815
Income Tax Repeal, 1816
The Game Laws, 1816
Suspension of Habeas Corpus,1816
The Six Acts, 1819
When was the Spa Fields Riots and what happened
-1816
-1st meeting - peaceful, 20,000 people, Hunt attempted to deliver petition
-2nd meeting - 200 people marched to the tower of London, crowd dispersed, leaders arrested
When was the Peterloo Massacre and what happened
-1819
-60,000 gathered to hear Hunt again but yeomanry tried to arrest him but couldn’t so 15th Hussars were sent
How many people did the 15th Hussars kill and wound
11, 400-600
When was the Cato Street Conspiracy and what happened
-1820
-Arthur Thistlewood planned kill LL’s cabinet to trigger uprising
-gov spy knew and Thistlewood and conspirators were executed and 5 others transported
When was the March of the Blanketeers and what happened
-1817
-William Benbow led a hunger march to present a petition
-only 3500 made it out of 4500 - local magistrates and yeomanry stopped them
How many Blanketeers were shot dead
one
when was the Pentrich Rebellion and what happened
-1817
-workers aimed to start a revolt but spies stopped them
what was the response to the protests
The Six Acts
Give an example of economic and social distress in 1820-32
-swing riots
-increase in trade unions
what were some of the reasons for the passing of the Great Reform Act
-political actions
-economic unrest and riots
-growth and demands of MC
-unreformed political system
what was the main cause for the Great Reform Act and what happened
-The Days of May, 1832
-anti-tory petitions were signed, demonstrations, protests, Francis Place organised to withdraw money from banks
what was the Great Reform Act
A bill introduced to the commons in March 1831 by John Russell
What did the GRA do
-more representation of the MC
-permanent party organizations
-50% increase in contested seats
What did the GRA not do
-still landed gentry had overall control - too expensive to stand as an MP
-south still over-represented
-public voting
-only 14 MC/103 serving in cabinets
-LC not represented
How many boroughs were created with the GRA
42
what were the causes of chartism and what was the People’s charter
-disappointment of 1832 RA, economic issues, opposition to Whig reforms and attack on trade unions
-campaign for more reform including male suffrage and a secret ballot
what were the main failures of chartism
-the petitions - rejected, police measures, O’Connor
-Newport Rising (1839) and Plug Riots (1842)
-NCA - lack of support and money, CSU
-Peel’s reforms - undermined their work
-divisions among leadership
what are examples of changing political attitudes in the 1860s
-legacy of 1832 RA
-death of Lord Palmerstone
-pressure groups
-failure of the first liberal bill
-role of Disraeli
-Hyde Park Riots - 1866
-social changes and external factors
name 4 individuals who campaigned for reform
Thomas Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Russell, John Bright
what were the successes and failures of the 1867 Second Reform Act
successes
-campaigning was now important - WC were not influenced and had to be won over
-2.46m voters, 1/3 of adult males, diverse
-political power shifted to workers
failures
-plural voting
-south over-represented and North under
-property still determined the franchise
Why did Henry Hunt organise mass meetings
-to provoke a violent response from the upper class so they would lose credibility
Who organised the Peterloo massacre and what happened to him
-Henry Hunt
-imprisoned for 2.5 years
