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Unit 3 > Reasons For The Rotpas > Flashcards

Reasons For The Rotpas Flashcards

1
Q

1832

Political Gain

A

The LIBERAL WILDERNESS:
- Tories had dominated 1820s: change in franchise = further Whig support, reestablished

LACK of POLITICAL INCENTIVE:
About maintaining the domination of the landowners by both parties (not enfranchising certain sections who vote certain ways)

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2
Q

1832

External pressure checklist

A 
Ideas (long term)
Organisation (middle)
The rejection of the second reform bill 
The days of may (immediate)
To stop the duke, go for gold 
Wellington’s threats

Throughout 1820-32: growing pressure for reform-
Without external pressure- RA watered down/withdrawn
Reaction to failed reform bill = agitation would persist: consistent factor led to ROTPA pass

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3
Q

1832
External pressure
Ideas

A

1) Since FRENCH REVOLUTION: external pressure - ‘The Rights of Man’
2) Reformist ideals (liberty, equality) widespread
3) Working people becoming rapidly politicised

Long term

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4
Q

1832
Organisation
External pressure

A

Increasingly organised groups began to grow-
• 1830: BPU, Atwood (SKILLED WORKING classes joined to MIDDLE CLASSES)
^ organisation = fear in parliament (FR)
• formed in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, many other towns and cities

Middle

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5
Q

1832
External pressure
The rejection of the second reform bill

A

RIOTS: Nottingham, Derby, Bristol (had to be suppressed by troops)
Bishop of Bristol’s palace burned down
Many gov buildings destroyed (B)

Hindered movement > encouraging reform

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6
Q

1832
External pressure
The Days of May

A

Rejection by HOL: protests in favour of bill and against Lords

Atwood and BPU prominent in protests; prevent wellington returning as PM after Whigs resigned

William IV concerned about revolution / unstable government + threats made by grey regarding creation of peers = lords backed down
Grey not confident enough to request this without DoM external pressure

Immediate

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7
Q

1832
External pressure
To Stop the Duke, Go for Gold!

A

FRANCIS PLACE:
Withdraw all gold they’re entitled to by swapping paper money, grind economy to halt
Leading banks stocks falling rapidly: Rothschild warned the only way to prevent full collapse was to reinstate Whigs and agree with reform

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8
Q

1832
External pressure
Wellington’s threats

A

October 1831
“The people of England are very quiet if they are left alone; and if they won’t [be quiet], there is a way to make them”
Severe tension due to external pressure

Alex Somerville: ordered to start “rough-sharpening” their swords

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9
Q

1832
External pressure
Summary

A

Throughout 1820-32 there was a growing pressure for reform
Without this pressure highly likely the reform act watered down or even withdrawn

Reaction to the failed bills demonstrated that, violent or peaceful, external agitation would persist= the consistent factor that led to ROTPA 1832 getting through Parliament

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10
Q

1832

Poor economic factors = agitation

A

Country facing economic crises in late 1820s-

Harvests of 1828 to 1830 were poor SO higher food prices in towns SO further agitation

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11
Q

1832

Other factors?

A

The passing of catholic emancipation
Without this, the Duke of Wellington may not have been as unpopular with the Tories & May have been able to hold together a fragmented party

Act of Catholic Emancipation 1829; many Tories never forgave Wellington or peel

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12
Q

1867
Political gain:
The Liberal desire

A

By early 1860s, some party leaders (esp in governing Liberal Party) wished to increase the number of voters to gain political advantage to their party

Enfranchise the “respectable” working classes who they believed would side with Liberal ideas

Earl Russel (replaced Lord Palmerston 1865) believed skilled workers, craftsmen, artisans in urban boroughs would vote liberal- he was the person that pushed this to the top of the agenda

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13
Q

1867

The Conservative approach

A

Disraeli and Derby saw that, with growing support of some form of reform across the benches, it would be politically expedient to put their own bill forward.

1866 Conservatives formed government; opportunity; had been in opposition for majority of past 20 years, reform bill could win support from new voters

Disraeli persuaded many Conservative to support bill on basis of a rejection leading to further dominance of Liberal Party

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14
Q

1867
Political gain
Summary

A

Unlike the 1832 act, this was primarily passed due to political circumstances and desires

Whilst external pressure ensured that an act was created, from beginning to end of the creation of this ROTPA, political opportunism was crucial

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15
Q

1867
External pressure
Long term (since early 1860s)

A

Early 1860s— issue simmering away at a low level BUT no great demand for it, internally or externally

Britain increasingly affluent and comfortable without parliamentary reform

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16
Q

1867
External pressure
Significance in the medium term? That is, mid 1860s?

A

Increasing external pressure began to grow—

1864, Reform Union founded in Manchester by a group of wealthy merchants, manufacturers and businessmen

1865, Reform League created by skilled workers

Both favoured widening the franchise, worked together

17
Q

1867
External pressure
The rejection of the first bill

A

Once bill proposed and rejected, external pressure BURST into life

Demonstrations in Hyde Park in response to the rejection led to violence, tearing down some park railings

Street demonstrations and protests in cities across the country

(Threat nothing compared to 1831-2, but suddenly reform became a necessity as this pressure might grow)

18
Q

Did economic factors play a role in passing the 1867 bill?

A

No real economic cause

During this period, Britain was increasingly affluent: little call for reform !

19
Q

1867

Other factors

A

SKILFUL MANOEUVRING BY DISRAELI AND DERBY

The cause of the proposal of the bill may not have been due to this, but it’s acceptance most certainly was.

Disraeli operated skilfully to convince those in the conservatives (and some of the Liberals) that this would be advantageous to them for differing reasons

In the House of Lords, Derby faced a group with no widespread support for reform

20
Q

1884
Political gain
Liberals

A

They were convinced county voters/farmers would vote liberal

Would weaken Tories hold in counties

Great to increase the electorate

21
Q

1884
Political gain
Tories

A

Salisbury was wary of diluting county seats but realised it wouldn’t be disastrous to the Tories if they could shape redistribution

New, distinctly suburban constituencies out of cities: ie. in London, they won the most

Shoes importance of political parties; both thought they had the better deal

22
Q

1884

External prsssure

A 
Coal miners (NE) excluded from county vote (many mining villages situated within county seats) wanted it 
Less than in 67, less heated debate
23
Q

1884
Other factors
Logical to continue

A

Giving the vote to respectable urban workers in 1867 had not been disastrous; they had proved themselves

Only logical to extend to countryside: Gladstone believed if urban working classes respectable enough to have vote so too were rural

+ better education
+ Victorian mood to allow them more/assist them/help

24
Q

1884
Other factors
The queen

A

1884

Urged the parties to compromise and negotiate, so they met in Salisbury’s home

25
Q

1884
Other factors
Compromise

A

Gladstone decided to go for in with cross party support

Tories accept because redistribution
Cross Party support: liberals and Tories worked together, both thought the were had a better deal (Arlington street compact)
Smooth

Radical liberal MP Charles Dilke and Lord Salisbury

26
Q

1918
Political gain
Conservatives

A 
Redistribution of seats helped conservatives
More suburban interests 
More middle class constituencies (48 to 200 seats)
27
Q

1918
Political gain
Labour

A

Redistribution helped Labour
More coal mining constituencies
Number of seats in which miners made up at least 30% of electorate rose from 35 to 55

28
Q

1918
External pressure
Soldiers

A

Soldiers should have the right to vote

Lloyd George believed this

29
Q

1918
External pressure
Women

A

Case for women’s suffrage agreed on by many in parliament before war; now fully justified - millions of women shown enough patriotism as men in their war effort: nurses, munitions factories, offices, farms

MPs feared resurgence of suffragette militancy

30
Q

1928

Political gain

A

General election 1918-24: little change in voting habits; political leaders knew it wouldn’t be dangerous

Conservatives: Stanley Baldwin wanted to attract female voters (women’s org was the fastest growing inside party, 1m+ female Party members)
1928: more likely to vote conservative than men
BUT back benches opposed

31
Q

1928

External pressure

A

Feminist societies: NUSEC continued to point out inequalities between men and women
(Only 1 in 15 employed women could vote!!)
- Working women disenfranchised
- kept issue open in parliament

Public pressure and labour efforts

32
Q

1918

Why was the franchise extended to all men and most women?

A

A patriotic consensus, not a popular campaign in the country or a struggle between parties in Parliament
Recognition of wartime sacrafice made by “our soldiers”
1916: Lloyd George: soldiers “have a right to a voice in choosing the government that sends them to face peril and death”
Ideas about respectability that had excluded 40% of males after 1884 seemed petty

Unit 3 (8 decks)

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