Part 3 - Reform and Reformers

Question 1

Problems with Britain’s electoral system in the 1900s?

Answer 1

1. The king and landowners controlled the country.
2. New towns had no political representation.
3. Women did not have the vote.
4. No secret ballot.

Question 2

Potwalloper borough definition?

Answer 2

people could vote if the had a fireplace and a door with a lock.

Question 3

Rotten borough definition?

Answer 3

Areas where no one lived but still had a lot of representation. Example: Old Sarum a mound of grass that has 2 MPs

Question 4

Pocket borough definition?

Answer 4

Controlled by rich individuals.

Question 5

What was the Peterloo Massacre and when was it?

Answer 5

1819

• there was a gathering of 60000 peaceful protesters in St. Peter’s Fields - they were there to here Henry Hunt and others speak.
• the local magistrate panicked and called in the militia.
• within 10 minutes 600 were wounded and seven dead.

Question 6

Consequences of the Peterloo Massacre?

Answer 6

The government introduced the Six Acts - a meeting with more than 50 people was now treason.

Question 7

What were the events in order to get the Great Reform Act Passed.

Answer 7

• In 1830 Tory party are replaced by the Whig party
• Same year King George died and replaced with William IV.
• The leader of the Whigs, Earl Grey tried to pass reform act - the house of Lords didn’t want reform.
• On attempt 3 Earl Grey requested the king appoint more Whig in the HoL.
• Scared of losing power the Tories passed the reform.

Question 8

Key points of the Great Reform Act of 1830.

Answer 8

• 56 boroughs were disenfranchised.
• 30 boroughs reduced to one MP.
• 67 new constituencies.
• Vote given to those who earned over £150/year.
• MEN ONLY.

Question 9

How ‘great’ was the Great Reform Act?

Answer 9

ST: The middle class gained more representation, rotten boroughs were removed and new cities got representation. HOWEVER, the working class were unaffected. So not ‘great’

LT: In the long term it was significant as ordinary people would start to demand change.

Question 10

Causes of Chartism being founded?

Answer 10

The poor had many problems:
- they were unable to vote
- unemployment was high
- poor living and working conditions.
- poor harvest
- still no secret ballot.

Question 11

What was the People’s Charter?

Answer 11

It was created by William Lovett and Thomas Attwood and their unions in 1836 - their aims were:
1. Votes for all men
2. Equal constituencies
3. Voting in secret
4. Wages for MPs
5. Annual election
6. No property qualifications for voting

Question 12

What was the government’s response to the People’s Charter?

Answer 12

It was rejected.

Question 13

How did the Chartists react to the rejection of the People’s Charter?

Answer 13

• Some decided peaceful methods were best.
• Others thought violence would be more affective in Newport, Wales people were particularly angry.

Question 14

What happened in 1842?

Answer 14

Another petition from the Chartists was rejected. The new leader Fergus O’Connor who preferred violent tactics. He called for a general strike.

Question 15

When was the end of Chartism?

Answer 15

On April 10th 1848 troops and police were prepared in London, when the Chartist petition was read out in Parliament however it was revealed many signatures were forged.

Question 16

Significance of the Chartism?

Answer 16

ST: in the short term the Chartist were not significant as they didn’t achieve any aims

LT: In the long term it was significant as it inspired other groups to demand change by 1928 all but one aims had been achieved.

Question 17

What were the Corn Laws?

Answer 17

Laws designed to keep the price of wheat high, intended to keep landowners and farmers happy.

Question 18

Why did the Anti-Corn Law League protest?

Answer 18

• Many people were unhappy with the Corn Laws as they impacted the price of bread.
• High wheat prices increased the cost of living
• High prices stopped trade with Europe.

Question 19

How did the Irish famine influence the repeal of the Corn Laws?

Answer 19

There was a potato failure in Ireland this meant many people died as they didn’t have potatoes and couldn’t afford wheat or bread.

Question 20

How did the Anti-Corn Law League protest?

Answer 20

The two prominent Leaguers Richard Cobden and John Bright toured the country giving speeches and creating pamphlets. The two became MPs and found the support of the PM - Robert Peel.

Question 21

When was the repeal?

Answer 21

In 1846 Robert Peel repealed the Corn Laws in his speech he said he had done the right thing for the struggling poor.
However he was removed from office and never sat another term as PM.

Question 22

Significance of the Anti-Corn Law League?

Answer 22

ST: There was change the Corn Laws were repealed.

LT: The influence of the landowners had been challenged and more protection for the poor would follow in the future.

Question 23

Who were the Anti-abolitionists?

Answer 23

• People who gained wealth from the slave trade. They created propaganda against black people calling them a ‘burden’

Question 24

What were the methods and the supporters of the anti-slavery movement?

Answer 24

• Petitions were presented to Parliament.
• Meetings held to educate people about slavery and the conditions.
• Working-people started to see how if factories workers deserved good conditions so did slaves.
• Enslaved people rebelled after the French Revolution it was difficult to supress the issue of slavery.
• Slavery was making less money.

Question 25

Significant people in the anti-slavery movement?

Answer 25

William Wilberforce - and MP who published bills to abolish slavery.

Olaudah Equiano - An ex-slave who wrote books to educate people on the conditions he suffered in.

Thomas Clarkson - collected information about slaves conditions.

Question 26

How significant was the abolition movement?

Answer 26

ST: The Abolition of Slavery Act freed slaves under the age of six, however others were promised freedom after 4 years.

LT: There was success in the long term with slavery being abolished.

Question 27

What were working conditions like in the 1900s?

Answer 27

• Children as young as 6 worked in the factories accidents were common and many lost limbs.
• Long working hours.
• Children had to sit in dark cramped conditions for 12h/day.

Question 28

What was laissez-faire politics?

Answer 28

the belief that politics should not be involved in people’s personal lives.

Question 29

Prominent people in factory and social reform?

Answer 29

Robert Owen - a socialist who owned a mill he focused on the well-being of his workers.

Edwin Chadwick - he reformed the Poor Law making him unpopular. However he also wrote a report revealing unsanitary working conditions.

Elizabeth Fry - She petitioned for prison reform and succeeded getting her brother to reform them.

Josephine Butler - took social issues such as prostitution seriously - she raised the age of consent to 16.

Question 30

What reforms were made?

Answer 30

Factory Act (1833):
- no children under 9
- children 9-13 could work no more than 9h/day
- 13-19s could work no more than 69h/week
- Under 13s had to attend 2h of school every day.

Mines Act (1842):
- women and children under 10 were not to work underground
- no under 15s working winding machines.

Question 31

Why did some workers dislike the reforms?

Answer 31

• limited the amount of money entering a home.
• put the poor at a disadvantage.
• pressure to stay out of workhouses

Question 32

Why was there increasing support for trade unions after the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 32

There was opposition to new technology:
The Luddites would break machines
The Swing Rioters set fire to farms and break machines.

Question 33

What was the Combination Act?

Answer 33

1825 - the act stated worked were not allowed to intimidate others from not working and coercing them into trade unions.

Question 34

Different trade unions from 1834-1870?

Answer 34

1834 - the GNCU was set up with over 500000 members but disagreements led to its failure.

1837 - The Scottish Friendly Association of Cotton Spinners went on strike but they ran out of money.

1851 - The ASE was established - it was a group of skilled workers who could afford to strike.

1860 - carpenters went on strike

1866 - tailors went on strike

1870 - trade unions had legal status .

Question 35

Who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

Answer 35

In 1834 6 agricultral worker formed a union against their employer. But they were harshly punished by the government and exiled to Australia for 7 years.

Question 36

What was the significance of the Tolpuddle Matyrs?

Answer 36

ST: The first time the government worried about Trade Unions. The gov. also reversed their decision 3 years later after a public appeal.

LT: It inspired other groups such as the Chartists.

Question 37

What was the Dockers Strike?

Answer 37

In 1889 London dockworkers went on strike for better pay.

Question 38

Significance of the Dockers Strike?

Answer 38

ST: They were militant and picketed to keep out replacement labourers. It was also significant because it brought the largest port in the world to a standstill. Sympathy strike all over London also broke out and the dockers received support from Australia.

LT: It encourage the growth of trade unions in 1888-1891 TU membership doubled.

Question 39

What was the Match Girl’s Strike of 1888?

Answer 39

• The matchmakers suffered in poor working conditions with many suffering from ‘phossy jaw’. They were also paid little and often recieved pay docks.
• The girls went out on strike in 1888 with the help of Annie Besant.

Question 40

Significance of the Match Girl’s Strike?

Answer 40

ST: It was the first successful unskilled workers strike and the first strike by female employees

LT: Inspired other unskilled workers to strike such as the dockers in 1889 and the Suffragettes in the 20th century.