Lesson 14.5 notes: Britain

What were the “two nations” in Britain

The rich and the poor

What was Britains strategy to making changes

Reform, not revolution

House of Lords

Made up of wealthy lords

House of commons

Made up of elected people who represented towns and cities

What percent of people could vote in around 1815

About 5 percent

Rotten boroughs

Rural towns that had lost population due to migration for industrialization

Whig party in Britain

Supported middle class and business class interests

Tories

Supported nobles and landowners with interest in agriculture

Great reform act of 1832

Redistributed seats in House of Commons and enlarged the percent of people who could vote

Chartist movement

Supported working class interests

What did the people’s charter petition for

• Universal male suffrage

• Annual parliamentary elections

• Salaries for parliament members

• Secret ballot

What happened to the people’s charter

It was ignored multiple times

Victorian age timeline

1837-1901

Ideals of Victorian age

• Thrift

• Duty

• Honesty

• hard work

• Responsibility

What effect did the Victorian age have on the people

Gave confidence to the middle class but continued agitation for the working class

Benjamin Disraeli

Formed the Tories political party into the modern Conservative Party

William Gladstone

Formed Whigs party into modern Liberal Party

Reform bill of 1867

Gave vote to working class men

Suffrage reforms in 1880s

Gave vote to farm workers and most other men

Corn laws

Taxed foreign imports of grain because it kept the price high

Why did farmers want to keep the corn laws

Because it kept the price of grain high

Why did free traders want to get rid of the corn laws

Because it would lower price of grain, lower price of bread, and encourage trade

When did parliament repeal the corn laws

1846

Working reforms in 1842

Women or children under 10 couldn’t work in mines

Working reforms in 1847

Limited women and children to a 10 hour work day

Working reforms in late 1800s

Regulated safety conditions in factories and mines, set minimum wages, and set maximum hours of work

Which prime minister made laws to improve public health and housing for workers in cities in the late 1800s

Disraeli

Which prime minister made laws for free elementary school and opened govt jobs regardless of birth or wealth

Gladstone

Fabian society

Promoted change through legal matters rather than violence

Labour Party

Party backed by socialists and union members

What was proof that democracy was working in Britain

The use of reforms to improve people’s lives

What was a main problem in the women’s suffrage movement in Britain

Women disagreed on whether to use violence or peace to gain suffrage

Emmeline Pankhurst

Suffragist who believed that violence was necessary to gain suffrage

How did women eventually win suffrage in Britain

Through hunger strikes

When do women gain the right to vote in Britain

1918

Absentee landlords

British people who owned land in Ireland but didn’t live on the land

What were some difficulties faced by the Irish

• They had to pay high rents to British landlords

• Catholics had to pay tithes to support the Church of England

• Landlords could evict tenants at will

• Repression of Irish language

• Potato famine in 1840s

Daniel O’Connell

Organized Irish catholic league

What did the Irish catholic league do

Demanded repeal of unfair laws by Britain

Catholic Emancipation Act 1829

gave Irish the right to vote and hold political office

What did Britain do when Ireland had the potato famine

Continued to export food from Ireland

what did the Fenians want in Ireland

For Ireland to be independent

What did moderates want in Ireland

To have home rule

Home rule

Local self government

Charles Stewart Parnell

Moderate who rallied Irish parliament members to work for home rule

What problem did the Irish question face for Britain

It prevented parliament from fixing other problems

Which prime minister pushed for reforms in Ireland

Gladstone

What reforms did Gladstone make for Ireland

• Ended tithes from being used for the church

• Prevented landlords from evicting tenants

• Protected rights of tenant farmers

When was the Irish home rule bill passed

1914

Why was the Irish home rule bill delayed

Because of the start of WWI

Why would expanding democratic rights help to bridge Britains two nations

It would give more power to the people

How did queen victorias values relate to economic reform

They prompted thrift and hard work which supported the working class. Victoria also supported reform and good morals

How did British policies toward Ireland affect the cause of Irish nationalism

It increased nationalism and the push for an independent Ireland

William Wilburforce

Worked to end the slave trade by using piracy laws to charge illegal slave traders