Parliamentary Reform Flashcards
What was the political system like in the 18th and 19th centuries? (8 answers)
The entire country was divided into constituencies called counties and boroughs.
There were only 2 MPs for each constituency.
Only men over the age of 21 who owned land worth at least 40 shillings could vote (5% of the total population).
There were only two political parties called the Tories and the Whigs.
MPs weren’t paid so you had to be rich to be one.
In elections there was usually only one candidate to choose from.
A voter had to tell a clerk who is vote was for which meant it wasn’t secret.
Rotten boroughs had a small number of voters whose vote was often sold to the highest bidder.
What problems were there with the political system in the 18th and 19th centuries?(4 answers)
The country wasn’t a democracy and very few people were able to vote.
You had to be rich to become an MP so a lot of the problems solved in Parliament only helped rich people.
Voters could be easily influenced because it wasn’t in secret which is
What was Peterloo supposed to be and what reasons were their for it?
In the city of Manchester, there was a high unemployment rate due to the recent wars. This was because people were no longer needed in factories and soldiers were coming home.
Also due to the wars, there were high taxes.
Despite its population, the city got little to no representation in Parliament which caused the people to protest.
In St Peters field, on 16th August 1819 they protested. The protest was supposed to be peaceful. Families were going to go to St Peters Field and have picnics while they listened to speakers like Henry Hunt.
What happened during Peterloo?
Across from the St peters field, the Manchester Magistrates saw the amassing crowd and thought it was the start of revolution. They called for the Manchester Yeomanry and the Hussars to disperse the crowd while on horseback. 600 people were injured and 17 were killed. 16th August 1819.
What happened after Peterloo?
Henry Hunt (one of the main speakers at the protest) was arrested for 2.5 years for ‘assembling with unlawful banners with the purpose of exciting discontent’.
Other speakers were arrested for one year.
The government congratulated the magistrates on their handling of the situation.
Gatherings of more than 50 people were banned.
They gave magistrates the power to search through houses for weapons.
They made newspapers more expensive so poor people couldn’t get any dangerous ideas.
What was the Great Reform Act and why did it happen?
In 1830, there was an election which brought in new MPs who were in favour of reform. This restarted the reform movement again.
Rioters stormed Nottingham castle for the Duke of Newcastle who was well known for influencing elections.
In Bristol there were riots but 70 people were killed by a cavalry who ran through the village.
In 1832, the Great Reform Act was passed and it did the following things:
It gave men over the age of 21 who owned land worth £10 the right to vote.
Large cities got representation.
56 rotten boroughs were disenfranchised and 67 new constituencies were created.
It showed that change was possible.
Who were the Chartists and what were their demands?
The chartists were people who didn't believe the Great reform act was enough so they made the following demands: All men must be allowed to vote. Voting is to be made secret. Don't have to own property to be an MP Members of Parliament are to be paid. Equal constituencies. Annual Parliament votes.
What were the names of the two Chartist forces, their leaders and how they aimed to get what they wanted?
William Lovett was the leader of a moral force of Chartists who believed they needed to show the government that they were worthy of the vote.
Feargus O’connor was the leader of a physical force of Chartists who believed they needed violence to force the government to give them the demands.
Who were the Suffragettes and what was the name of their leader and organisation?
Emmeline Pankhurst broke away from the Suffragists and formed the Women’s social and political union (WSPU). She became the leader of the Suffragettes and their motto was ‘deeds not words’. Their aims were for women to have the right to vote as well as better living and working conditions for lower/middle class women.
What were the methods of the Suffragettes and how did it affect their image?
The Suffragettes used more physical and destructive methods to get what they wanted. This included: Heckling at meetings, Deliberately trying to get arrested, Going on hunger strikes in prison, Attacking property, Window smashing, Arson bombing and sabotage. This was heavily frowned upon which hurt their image and possibly their cause.
Who were the Suffragists and what was the name of their leader and organisation?
Millicent Fawcett formed the National Union of Women’s suffrage societies (NUWSS). She became the leader of the suffragists and she compared their cause to a glacier - slow but unstoppable. They wanted voting for women.
What were the methods of the Suffragists and how did it affect their image?
The suffragists used peaceful and sensible methods to get what they wanted. This included:
Publishing newspapers that said votes for women.
Sending letters to MPs
Holding public meetings
Tax evasion
Peaceful protests
Debating at Oxford Union.
They had a very good image but it was very slow.
What happened which stopped both the Suffragists and Suffragettes from trying to get the vote?
WW1 caused both groups to stop campaigning. However, the NUWSS campaigned for women to serve in the war and helped out in factories.
Why were women working in the factories and how does that factor into why they got the vote?
Because of WW1, men who were previously working in factories had to go to war which made job openings. These were filled by young single women who then helped make shells and ammunition for the war. It is said that this is the reason women first got the vote on the 6th of February 1918.
However, once the war ended women returned back to their homes and men filled the factories once again. Also, the women who got the vote in 1918 were over 30 years old and weren’t the ones working in the factories. They were respectable and owned property.
What political reasons were their that helped women get the vote?
PM Herbert Asquith was against votes for women but he was replaced by David George who was fine giving votes for women. This is one of the reasons women got the vote.
Also, a lot of men had lost the right to vote because they had been conscripted to war. This meant the rules had to change. During the war, there was a coalition government of all the major political parties. This meant there could be an all party agreement on women’s suffrage.
