Brititsh politics 1800’s

How did the Great Reform Act (1832) make Britain more democratic?

-extended franchise to include middle class men=now encompassed 8% adult pop.vs 2%
-redrew constituency boundaries=major industrial areas represented for first time
-uniform franchise accross the country
BUT did nothing for working class+formaly stopped women from voting

1851-ways in which the monarchy was democratic (2)

-constitutional monarchy=institution of the monarchy was established on traditions and habits rather that real

1851-ways in which the monarchy was undemocratic (3)

-monarchy=anathema to democracy
-monarch could flood HoL with newly elected peers to block leg they disagreed with
-vic tried to exercise further control by trying to influence the actions of PMs
Eg. Ministers she disliked were occasionally dismissed=the pernicious bias she displayed was sometimes heeded by the governments of the time

1851-how democratic was monarchy overall?

while the political power of the monarchy had become significantly diminished by 1851

1851-ways in which parliament and government were democratic (2)

-primary house=HoC

1851-ways in which parliament and government were undemocratic (3)

-HoL=unelected landed elite=not representative of the lives+concerns of majority.pop
-HoL=dominant house in parliament=fuled by the aristocracy

unlimited amendments (bar fiscal bills)

1851-how democratic was gov+parl overall?

Overall

1851-ways in which the influence of the people was democratic (2)

-GRA'32 extended the franchise by approximately 50% to include middle class men eg.shopkeepers+tenant farmers

1851-ways in which the influence of the people was undemocratic (5)

-GRA'32 did nothing to politically empower the workers who made up the majority of Britain's population+formally disenfranchised women (a considerable step back in creating the universal sufferage required of a true democracy)
-secret ballot not introduced until 1878=culture of treating (bribing)

1851-how democratic was the influence of the public overall?

Overall

How democratic was Britain by 1851-conclusion

While its developing electoral system allowed Britain to call itself democratic

What were the 6 aims of the Chartists?

-universal male suffrage
-removal of MP property qualification
-salary for MP
-yearly gen elec
-secret ballot
-electoral districts of equal size (pop.)

What were the chartists' main campaign methods?

-created 3 petitions (1839

Who were the ruling elite?

=upper echelons of British society
-dominance and wealth came from land ownership which allowed them to influence HoC

agriculural developments allowed maintained wealth and influence after extension of the franchise

How did the GRA'32 expand the ruling elite?

Those newly enfranchised became adopted into the ruling elite

What were the Corn Laws and why were they passed?

1815
high protectionist tariffs on imported grain
The napolionic wars kept grain prices high by limiting imports

How did the corn laws divide the Conservative Party?

-by the 1840s Tory leader Robert Peel wanted to repeal the corn laws

was sympathetic to free trade ideas (had already removed all other tariffs)

Why else was the Tory party fractured by the 1850s?

-other disagreements=early fracture lines

eg.peel+wellington supported the Catholic emancipation act (1829) but ultratories opposed such reform
-after peelites left

Which groups made up the Liberals? Why was this a disadvantage to them?

Peelites

Who were the Peelites?

MPs that had broken away from the Conservative Part after the repeal of the corn laws
-supported free trade (some where industrialists)
-generally supported Whigs but could be their fiercest critics
-eg.Peel

Who were the Whigs?

-founded in opposition to the catholic rule of JimII
-favoured parl.as the exec function of gov.over monarchy
-favoured moderate political reform (GRA'32) and religious tolleration
-believed gov should have the consent of the governed
-aristocracy+wealthy urbanites
Eg.Earl Grey

Who were the radicals?

advocated broader voting rights than liberals

Who were the Irish MPs?

=105 MPs
-support was split between whatever party would agree to their demands
-wanted greater independence for Ireland

Protectionism

the theory or practice of shielding a country's domestic industries from foreign competition by taxing imports.

Tory Paternalism

Belief that it wasnt the gov.place to help the poor

free trade

the movement of goods and services among nations without political or economic barriers

Laissez-faire

Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs

Why did the Liberal party form in 1859?

-Formed 1859

What were Gladstone's key political beliefs? (6)

=shaped by the idea that gov.should act along moral guidelines+personal involvement in politics could only be justified if it served god's will
-peace

Who were the Aristocrats in the Liberal party?

=old Whigs
-gen.supported non-conformists
-support was limited as they tried to control reform in order to maintain their own power

Who were the middle class businessmen and professionals in the Liberal party?

=recently enfranchised

Who were the Peelites in the Liberal party?

=former conservatives eg.Gladstone
-mostly there to support free trade
-most from wealth commercial/industrial backgrounds

Who were the Radicals in the Liberal party?

=middle class

Who was John Bright? What were his political aims/beliefs?

=a radical Lib.MP from 1843-1889
-thought at least some of the working classes should be enfranchised

What is Gladstonian Liberalism?

A version of liberalism with a central belief that focused around free trade

Explain the Liberal slogan "Peace

retrenchment

How did "laissez-faire" and "self-help" apply to the Liberal Party?

-Laissez-Faire=state should not interfere with the workings of the economy
-Self-Help=mid.Vic.gospel for elite working class centred on idea that people should be constantly striving to improve themselves
Both link to Lib.emphasis on the individual by advocating for limited gov.interference

What were the key developments which enabled the growth of the liberal party?(3)

-rise of the provincial press
-model craft unions
-political activities of non-conformists

How did the rise of the provincial press help the Liberal Party?

-press=prev.dom.by London
-railways

How did Model (Craft) Unions help the Liberal Party?

=small unions consisting of skilled workers (eg.boilermakers

How did no-conformists help the Liberal Party?

=Protestants who had separated from est.CofE/refused to accept customary practices (included Quakers

What were the key factors uniting and dividing Liberals?

UNITING:
-support of free-trade
-Laissez-Faire+self-help attitudes
-belief in min.some pol.reform

DIVIDING:
-wealth/class differences = diff.prorities
-diff.religious beliefs
-the extent to which they supported pol.+soc.reform

What were the key weaknesses of mid-C.19th Conservatism?

-Party split '46(corn laws repeal)

What were the key political beliefs of Benjamin Disraeli?

-One-Nation Conservatism
Persuaded other Conservatives away from protectionism

What ideological changes did Disraeli persuade the Conservative Party to adopt? How+with what impact?

-persuaded party to abandon belief in protectionism=would improve image with electorate with free trade having undoubtedly contributed to the improving economy and living standards
-spoke about developed ideas on political reform=done with out committing to any detailed proposals eg.GRA'67

What were the key principles of Disreali's Conservative Party?(3)

-preservation of the establishment
-appealing to both the aristocracy and to the working classes
-the British Empire

What was the role of preservation of the establishment in the Conservative Party?

-aimed to preserve the long standing institutions of the monarchy

What was the role of appealing to both the aristocracy and the working classes?

-aimed to unite the aristocracy and working classes over how they could benefit each other without entirely dismantling the current class system (=reinforce rather than change)
-saw Liberals as members of the middle classes who attacked the aristocracy while failing to help the working classes (self help=alienated working classes

What was the role of the British Empire?

-wanted to defend +pos.expand the British empire while competing with emerging powers eg.USA

What were the key differences in regional support for the Conservative and Liberal Parties?

Con.=gen.support came from landed classes in rural areas

What were the key differences in political dominance for the Conservative and Liberal Parties?

Con.=held perm.maj.In HoL=reinforced party of the elite

What were the key differences in religion for the Conservative and Liberal Parties?

Con.=party of the Anglican Church

What were the key differences in clubs and organisations for the Conservative and Liberal Parties?

Con.=tried to expand support base after '67:
-Con.working mens' clubs = more pop.than Lib.as non-conformists often forbade alcohol
-'67=National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations

What was the Primrose League?

Group that promoted the party and supported aspiring MPs. Membership depended on subscription
-set up in 1883 after the death of of Disraeli to promote Con.values

What is social class?

=term firts used in the C.19th to catagorise people by social status and economic influence
=a pervasive issue

What was social mobility like during this period?

Limited

Who were the upper classes?

Roughly 2 sections…
-aristocracy and landowning gentry=~4290 people

Who were the middle classes?

-worked for a living

Who were the working classes?

=gen.those who worked with their hands

How did the upper classes generate wealth? What did this mean for them?

=reliant on inherited wealth that was generated through the land they possessed

What was the impact of industrialisation on the upper classes?

-diminished political/economic prevalence
-BUT

What is the difference between the aristocracy and the gentry?

-aristocracy =smaller (~800 vs ~3000 people)
-land

How were wealthy industrialists trying to assimilate into the upper classes?

-industrialist

What was the economic and social influence of the middle classes?

-many key politicians

Why is middle class a broad term?

-1850s~1/5-1/4 pop.=mc
=spectrum of incomes and occupations was broad
->min.requirement=£100

How were the middle classes growing?

-numbers and wealth grew 1851-71 (strong econ.

Why was there a lack of homogeneity within the working classes?

~80% earned a living through manual labour=working classes
=differences in experience

How could the corking classes be distinguished from the poor?

Middle class socialists generally saw the poor as being those who couldn't habitually maintain themselves with the work that they did
-we saw them selves as distinct from the poor

How did regional divides impact the landed classes?

In all regions

What was England's position within Britain?

=dominant social

What was the North/South divide?

=sig.cultural

What was population redistribution like during this period?

-some counties in England and Wales experienced sig.pop.decrease

What was the state of national identity in Wales?

-had been ruled by England since C.13th

What were the economic differences in Wales?

N/S divide was emphasised as coal fields in Glamorganshire allowed for greater industrialisation in the South

What were the key divides in Ireland?

-Ulster=only area with industrial dev.eg.Belfast was renowned for textiles

What was the relationship between Ireland and England like?

-Act of Union with En.=1800
-harsh English landlords

What was the state of industrialisation in Scotland?

-Lowlands=more industrialised

How did life compare in the Highlands?

-railway networks failed to connect the highlands to the rest of Br.=not industrialised

What was the crofter's war?

=civil disobedience that occurred amongst Croft farmers in Scotland in 1882
-came as a result of disproportionately high rents during the 1870s

What was the state of languages in Britain?

-Wales

Did the upper classes experience an improved standard of living?

-didn't generally improve but didn't get worse either…
-enjoyed cont.prosperity

How did living standards improve for the middle classes?

-success in overseas developments/investments brought capital back to Br.
->as those who participated in these business ventures

How did living standards improve for the working classes?

-though wages fluctuated

How did living standards not improve for the working classes?

-regional differences were sig.

What was the state of child labour?

->common both in industry and agriculture
->work was mostly dangerous

What was poor law?

=a system that raised money through rates to support those who couldn't support themselves

What was the workhouse?

In England and Wales

What other option existed to help the poor?

Virtually none.
-Laissez faire policy only extenuated situations of poverty

What were the dangerous working conditions many of the working clases faced?

-mine owners=unwilling to invest in modern machinery=mining was an especially dangerous profession
->1860-'97=24k men died in mining accidents
->eg.in Hartley colliery in Northumberland

What was the impact of these dangerous working conditions?

-employees often faced danger at work
-caused il health/injuries=contributed to the continuing poverty of the working classes as medical treatment was expensive

What were the consequences of low wages?

=v.low for unskilled/semi-skilled workers
=even with adults and children working

How did people try to supplement low wages?

-some could be mitigated by charities in either middle classes or working class communities
-legal way of supplementing income = running an allotment

What were slums?

Poor

What was the state of living conditions for the working classes?

Gen.=terrible…
->overcrowding

Why was rent so expensive?

-limited supply of housing+growing urban pop.=high demand
-gov.attempts to improve housing=slums became scarcer

How did the Liberal principle of self-help make it more difficult for social reform to be addressed?

-Self help placed the emphasis on the individuales

How did the extension of the franchise in 1867 and 1884 make political parties more open to the prospect of social reform?

-needed to stay politically relevant through ensuring the support+votes of the newly enfranchised working classes - promising social reform to improve standards of living was a key and simple way of doing so

-the voices of those who desired/needed these reform were being heard in parliament for the first time=issue was harder to ignore

What were Model (craft) Unions? How did they operate?

=small unions operating amongst the skilled workers enfranchised in 1867
-sought to improve working conditions through self-help

How did Model (craft) Unions improve the prospect of social reforms?

=an early demonstration of advocating for workers' rights and the respect of new labour laws

What was the London Trades Council?

=a prominent regional trades council which provided opportunities for the diff.trade unions in London to come together and exchange ideas
-also encouraged the setting up of a national organisation for the unions