Reasons for the Growth Of Democracy in Britain Flashcards
The population increased from ____ to _____, 1871-1911.
31.8 million to 45.3 million
What percentage of the British population lived in towns and cities?
80%
Why did the population increase so much from 1871-1911?
Britain’s Industrial Revolution made it “The Workshop of The World”, leading many people to migrate to find new job opportunities.
What is relevant about the statistic of 9%?
It was the percentage of the population that still worked in farming by 1911.
How did the Industrial Revolution somewhat increase the status of the working class?
What else contributed to this in the same way?
Britain’s factories were crucial to the country’s thriving economy, leading to the skilled workers operating them receiving more recognition.
Compulsory education made them appear less like an “angry mob”.
__________ ______________ was introduced in the 1870s and made future generations of the nation more knowledgeable and politically aware.
Compulsory Education
Name the three main pressure groups campaigning for a democratic reform (and the dates of formation).
National Reform League (1865)
Women’s Suffrage Movement (1897/1903)
Labour Movement (1890s)
What is relevant about Richard Bell and who was his more famous partner?
He was one of the two first working class men to gain seats in Parliament, the other being Keir Hardie.
How big was the National Reform League by 1867?
It had 65,000 members and 600 branches nationwide.
Mrs Millicent Fawcett formed what organisation in 1897?
The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS)
How did the Women’s Social and Political Union (Emmeline Pankhurst 1903) differ from the NUWSS?
The NUWSS preferred peaceful methods of protest while the WSPU was much more militant in their activities.
Why could you argue that the Women’s suffrage movement was overall ineffective?
No ground was made prior to WW1 and once the war began, the movement disbanded to instead help the war effort.
What success did the National Reform League achieve?
Their methods used to draw attention to the lack of working class votes, especially their marches/riots in Hyde Park in July 1866, led to the passing of the 1867 Reform Act.
What did the Labour Movement achieve?
In 1900, Hardie and Bell won seats in Parliament and, in 1906, the new Labour Party campaigned “in the name of a million Trade Unionists”.
Why do many historians believe that William Gladstone passed the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act for political gain?
Limiting the amount that can be spent on a complaint would level the playing field between the Liberals and the much richer Conservatives.
