Reforms, Revolutions, and War
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Chapter Section
9 Section
1. Reforms in the British Empire
Content Statement/Learning Goal
Analyze the social, political, and economic effects of
industrialization on Western Europe and the world.
Reforms, Revolutions, and War
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2.Social and Political Reforms
During the 1830s industrialization led to rapid changes in British
society, and some began to call for social and political reform.
Industrial Revolution
Reform Act of 1832
• Working, middle demands for
political reform
• 1830s, demands for reform too strong to
ignore
• 1800, landowning aristocrats
made up most of Parliament
• Liberals challenged old aristocratic,
conservative order
• Some industrial cities had no
representatives at all
• Reform Act of 1832 gave industrial cities
representation
• Only wealthy male property
owners could vote
• Also gave voting rights to middle-class
men who owned certain amount of
property
• public office restricted to men
of wealth
• Increased number of voters by 50%.
Greatly reduced power of aristocracy.
• Women excluded from voting
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3.Sadler and the Factory Act
• While Parliament debated Reform Act, one member investigated
treatment of children in Britain’s textile factories
• Michael Sadler showed harmful conditions endured by child workers
• Report noted physical mistreatment, long hours, low wages
• Parliament passed Factory Act, 1833
• Act limited working hours of children in textile factories
• made it illegal for teenagers to work more than 12 hours per day
• Children between ages 9 and 13 had to receive two hours
schooling per day
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4.Other Reforms
New Laws
• 1833, Parliament abolished slavery in Great Britain, all British Empire
• Slavery partially continued 4 years for slaves older than 6
• Government compensated slave owners depending on how many they
freed
• Parliament also passed new public health and crime laws
Chartism
• 1839, group called Chartists worked for voting rights for all men
• People’s Charter- petition sent to Parliament demanding voting changes
• secret ballot (eliminate voting intimidation)
• annual elections
• pay for representatives in Parliament
• Parliament first voted it down but later passed many of the reforms
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5.Victorian Era Voting Reforms
In 1837 Queen Victoria became the ruler of Great Britain. The
Victorian Era lasted until 1901. It was a time of great change,
including voting reforms that made the country more democratic.
Disraeli and Gladstone
• 1868–1885, two influential prime ministers, William Gladstone,
Benjamin Disraeli, elected several times
Male Suffrage
• Disraeli put forth new reform bill to extend voting rights to more
working men; passed 1867
• Another law created the secret ballot; discouraged bribery,
intimidation
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Reforms, Revolutions, and War
6.Women’s Suffrage
Question of Rights
1867 Reform Bill
• 1800s, women not seen as
equals to men; could not own
property, not legal guardians of
their children
• Secret ballot allowed
• Many women thought right to
vote would increase power in
society
• Disraeli argued that if a woman
could be queen, she should be
able to vote
• Queen Victoria against
women’s suffrage, called it
“mad, wicked folly”
• Tried to add women’s suffrage
to 1867 reform bill but did not
succeed
• Extended voting rights to
working men
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7. Women’s Social and Political Union
Early 1900s, women grew more frustrated with slow pace of
suffrage movement
• Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of Women’s Social and
Political Union (WSPU) said, “You have to make more noise
than anybody else.”
• Government continued to ignore issue of women’s suffrage
– WSPU adopted destructive tactics
– Many suffragists went to prison
• 1918, Parliament granted vote to women over age 30
– By 1928 voting rights for British women were on the same basis
as British men.
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8. Changes in the British Empire
Beyond Britain, people living in other parts of the British Empire were
also moved by the spirit of reform. In the mid-1800s people in Ireland,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand took steps to rule themselves.
Ireland
• 1801, Ireland joined United
Kingdom as part of Act of Union
• Some Irish hated British rulers,
particularly British landlords who
had power to evict Irish farmers
• Policies created to help British
industry hurt Irish agriculture
Potato Famine 1845
• Mid-1800s, potato crop failed
several times, left many with no
food, no income
• Potatoes Irish peasants’ main food
source; famine swept Ireland
• Without money to pay rent, many
evicted from homes
During the years of the famine, about 1 million people starved, and
about 1.5 million others emigrated—many to the United States.
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9. Ireland
Exports
• Ireland continued to export food through famine years
• Shipments left Irish ports for England under heavy guard by British soldiers
• British officials believed interfering with trade would harm British economy
Resentful of British Rule
• Famine left many Irish more resentful of British rule than ever
• 1860s, many Irish began to fight for change
• Some wanted independence, others home rule within United Kingdom
Self-Government 1920
• Parliament debated several bills to grant home rule to Ireland, 1800s
• Ireland did not receive limited self-government until 1920
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10. Canada
Colonies
• Britain’s colonies in Canada were mainly French-speaking
Rebellions
• Diversity created lack of unity, led to calls for reform
• 1838, Lord Durham sent as governor-general to Canada
• Wanted colonies to unite, form “great and powerful people”
Dominion
• 1867, Parliament granted colonies power to govern selves
• Canada become dominion, self-governing colony; continued to
expand westward
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11.Australia
• Since 1700s, Britain had used Australia as place to send criminals
• Mid-1800s, other colonists began to settle there, attracted by copper,
gold deposits
• 1901, Britain granted self-rule to Commonwealth of Australia;
established own parliament but remained part of British empire
New Zealand
• British government made agreement with local Maori people, land in
exchange for self-rule
• New Zealand became a dominion of Great Britain
• 1893, New Zealand became first country to give women the vote
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1
and
War
•Reforms,
Which Revolutions,
reform from
Ch
9-1 timeline Section
was most
important and why? Give specific examples in
order to defend your opinion.