Parlimentary Reform Flashcards by sofia :)

What political parties where there in the 18th/19th century?

Whigs and Tones

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Which house in Parliament was most important?

House of Lords, not elected

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Who could vote before the political reform in Britain?

21+ land-owning men

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How was the UK represented in the 18th to 19th century and why?

Unevenly, big industrial working class cities had no MPs, but rural areas such as rotten boroughs with a tiny population (10ish ppl) had 2 MPs
(Rural bias)

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How was the political system corrupt?

The MPs were usually the richest people in the town/village because they didn’t need wages as MPs don’t get paid so they were probably a large provider of work so if u didn’t vote for them you could get abused or fired, open ballot

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St Petersfield (Peterloo massacre) where, when,who

St Petersfield In Manchester, Castlefields (heart of industrial revolution)
Afternoon, 16/08/1819
- Henry hunt,up to 60,000 peaceful working class women, men, kids (protestors and reformers), violent cavalry and magistrates

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St Petersfield (Peterloo massacre)
what, why

why - Magistrates wanted money and an excuse to arrest Henry hunt and the protestors wanted liberty, representation and universal suffrage
what - peaceful protesters got injured and killed by calvary who went to disperse crowd

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St Petersfield (Peterloo massacre)
Underlying cause

Industrial revolution, urbanisation but old representation of MPs, rural bias

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St Petersfield (Peterloo massacre)
Casualties and injured - how many and how

600 injured, 15 dead including an infant
Brutal : Sabred, trampled, thrown into cellars

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What law was passed in 1832 and what significance did it have?

1832 great reform act - 67 new constituencies (more representation)
Middle class can vote (but still linked to wealth)
All male house holders can vote (not universal suffrage)

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Who, why and when were the chartists formed?

Franciss Place,
William Lovett (peaceful)
Feargus O’Connor (violent)
1838 by working class
Dissatisfied with 1832 great reform act
Wrote people’s charter

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People’s Charter (6 points)

Vote for every man 21+ of sound mind not in prison
The ballot
No property qualification for MPs
Payment of MPs (so working class can also be MPs)
Equal constituencies
Annual Parliament

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How did working class craftsmen react to the industrial revolution?
(How, when, why, where)

Bradford, 1839, respected craftsmen became slaves to machines : unemployed/factory workers

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Why didn’t all the working class’ revolts work?

Unorganized, police spies, leaders arrested

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When, where, and what happened the last times the chartists met?

1848 - Kennington Common in London, petition gets laughed at by Parliament, rejected
Gov suppression

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Anti women’s suffrage reasons

Women are needed to look after the home to cook, clean, have kids, only think about domestic and marriage
Not intellectual/educated enough to vote, only suffragettes if they are bored/no man

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Women’s laws- 1834

Vote for poor law guardians

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Women’s laws - 1839

innocent mother can have custody of her children until they were 7

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Women’s laws - 1857 divorce act

If husband deserted her, same rights as a single woman, could divorce if they proved adultery and cruelty

Women’s laws - 1870 married woman’s property act

Could hold separate savings account, and keep own earnings and property acquired after marrige

Women’s laws - 1870 education act

Women could vote and serve on school boards

Women’s laws - 1873

Innocent mother custody of kids until the are 16

Women’s laws - 1875

Women could be elected as poor law guardians

Women’s laws - 1882 married women’s property act

Women could keep property acquired before marriage

Women's laws - 1888

Women could vote in county and borough elections

Women's laws - 1894

Women could serve on urban and district councils as councillors

Who (leader), what and when were the suffragists formed (and acronym)

Millicent Fawcett - leader (first woman to debate at Oxford 1908) formed in 1890 by lots of local groups which began forming in 1850s to form national organisation peacefully National Union of Women's Suffrage Society

Who (leader), what and when were the suffragettes formed (and acronym)?

Breakaway group from suffragists formed in 1903 by emeline pankhurst and daughters silvia and Christabel 'Deeds not Words' Women's Social Political Union

How many suffragists meeting in 18877-8?

1300!

When did suffragists movement become a mass movement?

1870s

What was the suffragettes aim?

Create an impression upon the public, press and gov Publicity and make the gov listen

Suffragists tactics

Marching, debates, letters, tax evasion, public meetings

Benefits of suffragist tactics

Educated so deserved the vote, some publicity, not terrorists so gov not giving in to violence

Suffragists tactics problems

Ignored, very slow and no real progress, refused in Parliament up to 15 times just in 1900

Suffragist motto

Like a glacier, slow moving but unstoppable

Suffragettes tactics

Heckling at meetings, window smashing, arson, bombing, hunger strike in prison, attacking properties (terrorism) but didn't injure anyone

Suffragettes tactics benefits

Lots of publicity, press and public had to listen, pressing issue, more visible, willing to fight and die for cause (commitment and passion)

Suffragettes tactics problems

Terrorism, violent, irrational so don't deserve to vote, movement goes back Less support from public bc they are unpopular (damage property)

Death of Davison (who, where, when, what was she attempting to do, why,how did she die)

5/6/1913 - suffragette, a martyr for cause - Epsom race course, the Derby (world-famous horse race - lots of press), jumped under King's horse, skull fatally fractured by blow from horse's hoof, tried to put a votes for women banner on the horse, publicity

How important was WW1 to women gaining the vote

Women stopped violently campaigned and put all their effort to fight on the home front and 2mil women replace men in employment in all sectors Showed that they were just as good as men and that they were willing to work for Britain

How did women get the vote because of war effort?

Thank you for keeping country running, capable, responsible, reward for war effort

Why do some think that the vote in 1918 as a reward for war effort is too simplistic?

Only 30+ landowners women got vote in 1918 - main women involved in war effort were working class and middle class young women especially mutitionettes (19s/20s so didn't get the vote)

How was the change of pm and politics a reason for women getting the vote in 1918?

Herbert Asquith (againt) replaced by David Lloyd George and his cabinet (for) and not giving in to terrorism or violence, coalition Parliament all working together and different parties,

Other reasons for women gaining vote in 1918 (3)

Technicality bc soldiers couldn't vote bc they'd been living/fighting in a foreign country for 6months+ unfair, so had to change law anyways, embarrassing as colonies such as Australia and New Zealand already gave women the vote, fear of militancy and country in war-weary

When did everyone 21+ get the vote?

No property qualifications Representation of the people act 1928