Why Britain Became More Democratic Flashcards
List of factors
- Effects of the First World War
- Urbanisation & Industrialisation
- Developments Abroad
- Changing Attitudes
Effects of the First World War
K - Men of all walks of life came to the trenches, the classes would mix.
A - Allowed people in poverty to be viewed more sympathetically by the upper classes
K - Position of women changed back home, women embraced the challenge.
A - It gave women the opportunity to show their skill, intelligence, compassion and eligibility to vote.
E - “The experience and response of the mass of people during the First World War were or major importance in shaping the pattern of British politics.” Martin Pugh
Urbanisation & Industrialisation
K - Urbanisation in Scotland reaches its peak between 1880-1939. Many workers are now Socialists - seen as a threat by wealthy businessmen.
A - It was believed that giving more people the vote would prevent brash political ideologies like these surfacing.
A+ - However, it could also be argued that giving people already holding these beliefs a say in the government could further these beliefs and so could be used as an argument against extension of the franchise.
K - New middle class entrepreneurs, industrialists, merchants and traders rightly claimed to be new creators of wealth in the nation.
A - In highly populated urban areas, new political ideas could be spread quickly, especially with railways and publications.
E - “Gradual social and economic change combined to make further political reform not only desirable but inevitable.” Morrison, Morrison & Monaghan
Developments Abroad
K - In the 1910’s, many US states had allowed votes for women as well as the country of Finland. New Zealand had extended the franchise as early as 1893. These countries remained stable with women voting.
A - These countries set a good example of how no harm could come to the country by giving women the vote.
A+ - However MPs continued to argue that the addition fo women to the voting system would be disastrous for the country.
K - MPs perceived themselves as being in charge of the greatest nation in the world. They wanted to keep up with and follow changing political trends.
A - MPs would have been influenced by the progressiveness of other countries and were keen to implement similar policies in the UK.
Changing Attitudes
K - In 1848 there were a series of revolutions e.g the French Revolution, with others occurring in Austrian and German states.
A - British politicians feared revolution arriving on British shores. This fear was heightened by the threat of the working classes rising up if they weren’t included in the franchise.
A+ - However, it can be said that the 1867 Reform Act which was passed nearly 20 years after these revolutions happened too long after the events, therefore they had little influence on the events.
K - The southern states of the US withdrew from the Union in 1860 which was seen as undemocratic as they only left because the vote didn’t go their way. North and Southern states had differing views on slavery.
A - Britain deemed itself a democratic nation so they supported the maintenance of democracy across the Atlantic. Any support of the southern cause could cause rebellion in the British population.
E - Workers in Lanark and Lancashire cotton mills refused to work with American ‘slave cotton’ as a mark of support for the North of the US.
