Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform timeline

1780

House of Commons motion criticising increasing power of the Crown

1785

Defeat of proposals for parliamentary reform in Parliament

1789

Outbreak of French revolution

1791-2

Paine's The Rights of Man written

1792

London Corresponding Society formed

1792-5

Legislation to suppress the threat of radicalism

1815

End of war with France

Corn laws

1816

national petitioning campaign

Spa Fields meeting

1817

Suspension of habeas corpus

Government ban on large meetings

June - Pentridge rising

1819

August - "Peterloo massacre"

The Six Acts

1830

November - Whig government was appointed

1831

March - First reform bill introduced and rejected

May - General election

June - 2nd reform bill introduced

September - 2nd reform bill passed by the commons

October - House of Lords rejected the 2nd reform bill

Riots in several cities

1831

December - Whig government introduced a 3rd reform bill

1832

May 7 - House of lords committee rejected the 3rd reform bill

May 14 - Wellington failed to form government. Whigs return to power

June - King persuaded Lords to pass reform bill

1834

Tamworth manifesto and emergence of "conservatives"

1835

Municipal corporations act.

Excluded working classes from local government

1837

Northern star newspaper started in Leeds by Feargus O'Connor

1837-8

Anti-poor law campaign

1838

May - publication of "people's charter"

1839

February - National convention met in London

July - First chartist petition rejected. Birmingham riots

September - Chartist convention broke up

November - Newport rising

1840

National charter association set up

1842

May - 2nd Chartist petition rejected

August - "Plug" strikes and riots

1845

Chartist Land Plan started

1848

April - Chartist meeting on Kennington Common, London

Third Chartist petition rejected by parliament

1854-6

Crimean War highlighted the poor health of British soldiers

1859

liberal party made up of Whigs, peelites and radical MPs.

Abolition of property qualification for MPs

1862

Committee of Inquiry into venereal disease in army

1864

Contagious diseases act passed

1866

2nd contagious diseases act

1867

Second representation of the people act

1869

3rd Contagious Diseases act

National association for repeal of the contagious diseases act formed

December - Formation of Ladies' National association

Ladies' Protest published in daily news

1870

Henry Storks defeated in Colchester by-election

1872

secret ballot act

1872 - 3

Regional electoral leagues organised to campaign for repeal

1874

James Stansfeld took on leadership role of campaign for repeal

1883

corrupt and illegal practices prevention act

House of Commons' motion led to end of compulsory examinations

1884-5

third representation of the people act

1886

Repeal of contagious diseases acts

1897

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) formed

1903

Women's Social and political union (WSPU) founded

1905

More militant strategy of heckling adopted by WSPU

1909

"people's budget"

First hunger strikes and forcible feeding

1910

Failure of First conciliation Bill

November - "Black Friday" police violence towards women outside parliament

1911

parliament act

Failure of second Conciliation Bill

Resumption of WSPU violence

1913

April - "Cat and mouse acts". Emmeline Pankhurst sentenced to 3 years in prison

November - Emily Davison died after under king's horse at the Derby

1914

Suffragettes suspended militancy at outbreak of WW1

1915

Glasgow rent strike

1918

representation of the people act (reform)

1919

January - Forty hours strike in Glasgow

September - National rail strike

1920

August - Council of Action

October - Miners' strike led to emergency powers act

1921

Collapse of Triple Alliance on "black friday"

1925

Government announced subsidy to mine industry on "red friday"

1926

March - Report of Samuel commission

May 1 - Miners locked out

May 4 - Start of General strike

May 12 - TUC called off General Strike.

1927

Trades Disputes Act

1928

representation of the people act (equal franchise)