Was parliament’s unwillingness to modernise the electoral system the main reason for the growth in reform agitation before 1800? Flashcards
Was parliament’s unwillingness to modernise the electoral system the main reason for the growth in reform agitation before 1800?
Was parliament’s unwillingness to modernise the electoral system the main reason for the growth in reform agitation before 1800?
Parliament’s unwillingness to modernise
Facts- the ruling elite came together to defend the pre reform system that benefited them so much, as they could bribe voters in open ballots to vote for them. The French Revolution reinforced their ideas that Britain’s people didn’t need any more freedom, as they feared revolutions from below. William Pitt’s reign of terror (an attack on the radical activity of Britain) was the spark that increased the working classes’ demand for reform; Legislation banned trade unions under the combinations act 1799, in Dec 1795 ‘two acts’ passed to ban meetings of over 50 who’s object was to discuss parliamentary reform. Licenses were taken from pubs that allowed radical meetings to take place.
It was this oppression of basic democratic rights of the working classes of Britain that resulted in the biggest increase in demands for reform, because they were the majority of the country and by far the least represented. Pitt feared the idea of a repeat of the French revolution in Britain, but instead of increasing political freedoms, he restricted them further; this therefore explains the subsequent revolutions of the lower classes against parliament.
Radical societies
Facts- LCS- formed in 1792 under Thomas Hardy, they had between 1000-5000 members and was an organisation ‘open to all’ that cost only a penny to join. Members consisted of mostly tradesmen but also booksellers, printers, authors. Attracted thousands of supporters to open air meetings between 1793-95, most notably a demonstration at copehagen fields that attracted over 100,000 in October 1795. They were non violent and emphasised to importance of meetings over pamphlets.
The emergence of clubs, discussion groups and societies coincided with the emergence of increasingly politicised papers- London had 13 daily and 10 tai-weekly papers that influenced masses of people around London. This therefore increased reform agitation because of the ease of which information and opinions were spread and so more and more people became aware of the problems with the pre reform system, campaigning for change.
French Revolution and Thomas Paine’s the rights of man
Facts- Events of the French Revolution prompted a change in attitudes among the lower radical classes, especially after Thomas paines’ response to Burke. Paine rejected the idea that societies develop organically from their past, and instead each age has the right to establish a new political system.
-by 1793 he had sold 200,000 copies despite being charged with treason in 1792, suggesting his message had the potential to stir up large amounts of agitation among lower classes in a French Revolution-style uprise.
The legacy of the French revolution combined with increasingly politicised ideas that were clearly widely read had the potential to cause large amounts of unrest. However, Paine’s ideology was seen as too radical even for the ‘radical societies’ and widespread acceptance of his works was quickly silenced by Pitts reign of terror, making it the least significant of the 3.
introduction/ line of argument/ judgement
It was the change in attitudes and growth in understanding of the lower classes that resulted in the growth of reform agitation in the short term, because as information began to circulate regarding the problems of the pre reform system through people like Paine and the LCS, more lower class people began to question the system. Parliaments unwillingness to reform and Pitt’s reign of terror came after the French revolution and the subsequent increase in revolutionary ideas in Britain, which angered people in Britain even more when parliament was actively oppressing their basic democratic rights, which could be considered as a long term argument for increased reform agitation following the emergence of revolutionary ideas in Britain.
