British Industrial/political Reform
1) Tories: conservative, control Parliament
Whigs: liberals, want change
2) Corn law of 1815 halted the importation of cheaper foreign grains.
a. Aided the Tory land-holding aristocracy
b. Increased the cost of bread: led poor and unemployed to protest & demand parliamentary
reform.
3) Coercion Acts of 1817 suspended “habeas corpus” for first time in English history.
a. Provided for arbitrary arrest & punishment
b. Drastically curtailed freedom of the press& public mass meetings.
4) “Peterloo Massacre” of 1819 occurred when several members of a large crowd were killed.
a. listening to reformers demanded repeal of the Corn Laws & other liberal changes.
b. Hundreds others injured as police broke up the meeting.
5) Six Acts of Parliament in 1819 in response to the “Peterloo” episode.
a. Series of repressive measures attempted to remove instruments of agitation from the
hands of radical leaders & to provide the authorities new powers.
6) Cato Street Conspiracy of 1820 took place when a group of extreme radicals plotted to blow up
the entire British cabinet.
a. Incident provided new support for repression by the Tories
b. Incident also discredited the movement for parliamentary reform.
7) By 1820 England on the road to becoming a reactionary authoritative state
a. Numerous protests among younger Tories arguing that repressive legislation was not an
English tradition, felt party needed to change its direction

England chooses Reform over Revolution
a. Reform promoted by George Canning & Robert Peel, in opposition to reactionary
policies of Tory leaders. Got help from liberal Whig politicians
b. Canning inaugurated liberal policy in foreign affairs: abandoning the Congress System
c. Peel reformed prisons & outdated criminal code, and established an efficient metropolitan
police force (“Bobbies”)
d. Mercantile & navigation acts liberalized, enabling colonies to trade with other nations as
well.
e. Whigs gain momentum
1) Catholic Emancipation Act 1829 --- granted full rights to Roman Catholics by repealing Test
Act 1763 (religious test for barring non-Anglicans).
2) Great Reform Bill 1832
a. designed to increase the number of voters by 50% & to eliminate under populated
electoral districts ???(“Rotten Boroughs”) & to replace them with representatives from
the unrepresented manufacturing districts & cities.
b. Did not resolve all inequalities but would lead to notable reforms in redrawing the
sociological landscape of British life
3) 1832 Reform Bill: laws enacted abolishing slavery throughout the Empire 1833

Victorian Compromise:
a. Victorian Age (1837-1901) with reign of Victoria who succeeded her uncle William IV at the
age of eighteen and married her cousin, Prince Albert
b. was a political alliance of the middle class and aristocracy to exclude the working class from
political power. Middle class gained control of the House of Commons & the aristocracy
controlled the government, army, & Church of England
Highlights included:
a. 1832 Reform Bill: laws enacted abolishing slavery throughout the Empire 1833
b. The Factory Act 1831: forbade the employment of children under the age of nine
c. The New Poor Law 1834: required the needy who were able and unemployed to live in
workhouses
d. The Municipal Reform law 1835: gave control of the cities to the middle class.
e. Abolition of the Corn laws 1846 and repeal of the old navigation acts 1849 were the last
remnants of the Mercantile age.
f.
Chartist Movement: working class felt their situation no better off at passage of Great
Reform Bill of 1832 so followed political reform called Chartism. Came from charter of
6 points which they petitioned Parliament to adopt.
 universal male suffrage
 secret ballot for voting
 no property qualifications for members of Parliament
 salaries for members of Parliament
 annual elections for parliament
 equal electoral districts
movement failed. Middle class and aristocracy opposed the working class political
agenda. Also ranks split between violence or peaceful tactics
a. Was first large scale working class political movement that workers everywhere would
eventually adopt if they were to improve their situation

Polarization of Europe was becoming clear with neither side able to maintain upper
hand
a. Liberal middle class West: advocated constitutionalism & industrial progress versus
b. authoritarian East: committed to preserving the status quo
c. Confrontation would continue until one side gained a decisive victory