The political system Flashcards
How many constituencies were rotten before 1832?
140 out of 658
What was the population of Manchester and how many MPs did they have?
Population of 144,000 and 0 MPs
What was the population of Cornwall and how many MPs did they have?
Population of 300,000 and 42 MPs
Why was many of the electorate bribed in the 19th century?
There was no free vote
How much did an election cost for an MP?
Between £1000-£3000 AND MPs were not paid
What were the property qualifications to be an MP?
Rural = £600 property
Urban = £300 property
What did the 1832 reform act do?
Re-distributed seats so each constituency only had 1-2 seats
Created 37 new constituencies e.g. Manchester
Expanded the male franchise to 8% of the population (£10 a year property qualification)
What political progress was made in the late-nineteenth century?
By the 1850s, 20-25% of MPs had no connections to the aristocracy/gentry
1 in 6 men could vote by 1860
By 1886, 2/3 MPs came from industry
How many acres of land did the Duke of Devonshire own in the nineteenth century?
200,000 acres
How were the middle class often defined?
People who had servants
How many domestic servants were there by 1871?
1.4 million
How much of the population did the middle class make up by 1850?
Around 1/5
What was the average middle class income?
£100 per year
How much of the population earned their living through manual labour by 1850?
Around 4/5
What did the 1872 education act do?
Attempted to anglicise the Gaelic speakers of Scotland
What happened in 1882 in the North?
The Croft Wars because rent was extremely high on Northern farms
How did regional divisons begin in England?
Coal and Iron began to develop in the North and the South remained agricultural
What caused rotten boroughs?
Due to industrialisation, agricultural cities like Cornwall and Shropshire became depopulated
How much of the population were Churchgoers by 1851?
3/4
