HWH UNIT 7CHAPTER 11.1-11.2

Reform in Great Britain

Political Reform

Constitutional MonarchyHouse of Lords

AppointedVeto power over the House of Commons

House of CommonsElected

Less than 5% of the population could vote Wealthy land-owners Only Anglicans could vote

Representation in ParliamentSkewed toward the countryside

New cities were not represented “Rotten Boroughs”

Early Reforms1820s: Catholics and non-Anglican Protestants get the right

to vote

Democracy in Britain, 1815

The Reform Bill of 1832(The “Great Reform Bill”)

Expanded the vote by nearly 50%Still only property-

owning menGave more

representation to cities

Parliament’s attempt to curb revolutionary ideas

The Chartists (1838)The “People’s Charter”

Universal suffrage Annual calling of Parliament The Secret Ballot Salaries for MPs Abolition of property

qualification for MPsPresented three times to

Parliament (and rejected)Too radical

Britain moved slowly toward reform

The Charter being delivered to Parliament

English Politics In the Victorian EraLiberal Party

Middle ClassWilliam Gladstone

Anti-empirePro-Home Rule

Conservative PartyAristocratic Benjamin Disraeli

Pro-empire

Reforms 1850-1914Reform Bill of 1867 (urban workers)

ConservativesSecret Ballot, 1872Reform Bill of 1884 (rural farmers)

LiberalsParliament Act of 1911

Eliminated power of House of LordsSalaries for MPs, 1911

Social and Economic Reform

The Corn Laws (1815)Maintained high

prices of grain (“corn”)Parliament

represented only the upper and middle class

The Corn Laws disproportionately hurt the poorIncreased the price of

bread…

The Repeal of the Corn Laws, 1846The Anti-Corn Law League, 1845Real reason: the Potato Famine

The Mines Act of 1842Outlawed women and children under 10

years old working in mines

The Ten Hours Act, 1847Limited the work day to ten hours

Unions legalized, 1825Strikes legalized, 1870s

Revisionist Socialism in BritainThe Fabian Society (England, 1884)The Labour Party (England, 1906)

More Labor Reform

Women’s Suffrage

Emmeline Pankhurst

The Question of IrelandEnglish Control, 12th centuryCatholic vs. Protestant

Catholics had to pay tithes to the Church of England

English and Scottish absentee landlordsKingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801)The Irish Potato Famine (1845-49)

“Home Rule”1886: Defeated1893: Defeated1914: Passed

Ulster World War I

1916: Easter Rebellion1922: Irish Free State