Reform in Great Britain, 1820s1840s
Successful Reform in Britain
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British notice the July Revolution! – threats work!
1820s Tories more liberal: Robert Peel
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Pro free trade – pro secular state (vs. Church)
1673 Test Act repealed – Catholics Emancipated!!!
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(NOT IN IRELAND!!!)
1830 George IV dies --- William IV --- Whigs under Earl
Grey push hard for reform
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Fear of revolution – like the July Days in France
Successful Reform in Britain
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Representation Problem
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Can’t reform House of Commons
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Rotten Boroughs: empty with industrialization…
500 men (mainly House of Lords) elected House of Commons!
Reform Bill, 1832 (“English”)
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Increased numbers of voters significantly
House of Commons emerged as major legislative body
Industrial areas gained representation
“Rotten boroughs” eliminated
Irish Potato Famine, 1846
The Chartist Movement
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1838 People's Charter - London Working Men's
Association (LWMA) by Thomas Lovett and
Francis Place
The Charter had six demands:
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All men to have the vote (universal manhood suffrage)
Voting should take place by secret ballot
Parliamentary elections every year, not once every five
years
Constituencies should be of equal size
Members of Parliament should be paid
The property qualification for becoming a Member of
Parliament should be abolished
Factory Acts, 1830s & 40s
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1833: Factory Act. No children under 9 were to be
employed except in silk mills. Those aged 9 to 13 were
restricted to 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week with two
hours school a day. Children and young persons were not to
work outside the period 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. For the first
time, factory inspectors were appointed.
1842: Mines Act. This stopped children under 9 and women
from working underground.
1847: Factory Act. Women and young persons in textile
factories were limited to 10 hours a day or 10.5 if Saturday
was a half holiday. This is sometimes known as the Ten Hour
Act.