Power And Polotics Flashcards
What was the peterloo masacure
For many years only a small number of rich men had been allowed to vote and many ordinary people were sick of it so they started a non-violent protest but things escalated quickly when the government sent soldiers to stop it but they ended up killing 11 people.
Who were the Charitists
The supporters of campaigners who where trying to make the People’s Charter
What was the Reform act of 1832
‘A trick to keep the aristocracy in its place’.
What did the Chartists try again in 1842
In 1842, the Chartists presented a second petition, with 3,300,000 signatures but, despite strikes and a spate of terrorism called the ‘Plug Plots’, Parliament rejected it again.
Another vast petition was presented, and rejected, in 1848.
What were the six points of the People’s Charter
- A vote for every man of twenty-one years of age and sound mind
- The secret ballot
- No property qualification for MPs
- Payment of MPs
- Equal constituency sizes
- Annual parliaments
What was wrong with the democracy in the 1820’s
Only wealthy people could vote.
Some areas with few people had MP’s, while big cities had none.
Corruption and bribery were common.
Voting wasn’t secret so people could be pressured.
Parliament didn’t reflect the growing industrial population.
These issues led to the Reform act in 1832.
How did some people start to be able to vote
Gradually, the right to vote was given to more of the population. The 1867 Reform Act allowed the vote to working class men who lived in towns.
What was the secret ballot act in 1972
The 1872 Secret Ballot Act meant that voters could now vote secretly. Before the act was
passed, an employer could threaten to dismiss a worker if he didn’t vote the way the employer wanted. Rich candidates i n elections could even pay voters to vote for them.
What was the 1884 Reform act
A further Reform Act in 184 added million farm workers to the list of voters. By now, all adult men - about five million - could vote. Progress for workers was slower. The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act of 1875 meant that peaceful picketing was no longer a criminal offence.
How did women try and get the vote
By 1900, over 50,000 women were members of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (suffrage is another word for vote). Known as suffragists, they collected petitions, wrote to Parliament and went on marches to highlight their cause. By 1905, they had got nowhere - and some of their members decided to change tactics. Known as the suffragettes and led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, their motto was ‘deeds not words’.
How did Suffragettes work
They disrupted political meetings, chained themselves to railings in Downing Street, pelted politicians with eggs and flour and smashed Parliament’s windows with stones. They set fire to churches and railway stations, some poured acid on golf courses and others attacked MPs on the way to work. When they were arrested and fined, they refused to pay and were sent to prison - knowing this would make the papers. Soon, they were refusing all food in prison (hunger strike). This gave the Government a terrible choice - free the suffragettes or let them starve to death! At first. they released all hunger strikers, but soon decided to force-feed them instead. All this guaranteed that the suffragettes were front page news.
How did the Suffragists work
Traditional lobbying and petitioning were a mainstay of NWP members, but these activities were supplemented by other more public actions–including parades, pageants, street speaking, and demonstrations. The party eventually realized that it needed to escalate its pressure and adopt even more aggressive tactics.
