Chapter 23 / Section I: Pages 532-539
Changes in Great Britain and It’s Empire
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This section is about:
How Great Britain reformed
its political system and gave
the vote to more people.
How Ireland became part of
the United Kingdom and
how Canada gained some
autonomy from Great
Britain.
Look at pages 532 and 533
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We’ll cover sections
I
and II in this chapter.
Let’s read the section on
the left.
And, even though we
won’t look at the section
on Italy, look at the
picture. The caption
asks: what signs of
nationalism does the
picture show?
Ernest Renan (on page 532)
Page 534: Why is Great Britain a big part of
what American history classes study?
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Political changes in Great
Britain:
We’ve covered some of them –
the Glorious Revolution, the
Magna Carta, William and
Mary, Parliament, etc….
After the Industrial Revolution,
England wanted to improve
conditions for the workers and
the poor.
Many also wanted some
political reforms – a greater
voice in government and a
demand that people be able to
vote.
Demands for Reform
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Middle-class and working class
people wanted more freedom and
wanted a chance to be represented
in government.
Many villages and towns had high
food prices (poor harvests).
City people faced difficult conditions
(working in the factories).
Many gathered peacefully in
Manchester, but soldiers suddenly
began to attack the crowd (killing 11
and wounding hundreds).
This became known as the Peterloo
Massacre.
You can guess what kinds of
feelings these people had after this.
10 Oddities of the British Parliament
British Parliament
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Britain had a Parliament (2
parts - below) since the 1600’s.
They were supposed to help
with laws and taxes (protect
the rights of the people), and
keep the monarchs under
control.
The House of Lords: inherit
their positions or are
appointed.
The House of Commons:
elected by British people.
In the 1800’s, ordinary people
were often unhappy with one
of these - which one?
The House of Lords
The House of Commons
Representation and Voting
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Representation in England was very unevenly distributed.
When towns/cities grew, the numbers didn’t always change in Parliament.
This also meant people who owned land might get a little more power/
representation.
And, only men who had enough property could vote.
This was only 245,000 voters out of 9,000,000 people (1 in 36 people) in
England in the early 1800’s.
The Reform Act of 1832 helped some – now about 1-20 people could vote.
Movements for Reform
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In 1838, one group wanted
more (the Chartists), asking
that all adult men could vote
(in a secret ballot for yearly
elections).
Parliament wouldn’t listen to
the Chartists (and 3 million
petition signers).
Finally, by 1858, you didn't
need to own property to be in
Parliament.
By 1867, all men could vote.
By 1872, they had secret
ballots.
The Victorian Age
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Queen Victoria was
running England at this
time (from 1837 to 1901 –
the longest reign in the
country’s history).
She felt it was not her job
to take sides, but she was
good at settling
disagreements in
Parliament.
She was very popular.
Also, quiet and dignified,
with a strong belief in
proper behavior at all
times.
61 years, 184 days
(as of 9 August 2013)
The Irish Question
and… Part of the United Kingdom
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People min Ireland also lived in poverty
and suffered under harsh British rule.
By 1800, there was a strong hatred of
the British and the question was:
Should the Irish be allowed to govern
themselves?
There had been revolutions in America
and France to run their own countries.
By 1801, Ireland was made part of the
U.K., (The Act of Union) and even got
100 seats in the house of Commons
(no Catholics though).
A lot of Irish people are Catholic, so
that’s a problem.
After protests, by 1829, Roman
Catholics were allowed in Parliament.
The Great Potato Famine
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Ireland was a tough place to live
in the 1800’s.
Had a growing population.
Very little industry.
Most people rented their land.
Potatoes were the main food –
until a famine (plant disease) in
1845: when more than 1 million
Irish died of hunger or disease.
Britain didn’t help them out:
Irish farms that had meat and
grain sent tried selling that, but
no-one had money to buy them.
Years of Change
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People suffered for years.
Some looked for better lives in
North America.
Some looked for factories/shipping
jobs in Great Britain.
But some Irish who stayed began
to demand home rule.
They wanted their own Parliament
(and would still stay part of the
U.K.).
Some were afraid the Roman
Catholics would take that over.
Ireland did get home rule
eventually (1914 – after WWI).
Self-Government for Canada
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You think of Canada being
French (speaking), but Great
Britain won Canada in the
French and Indian War (1763).
People from Great Britain then
settled in/near Ontario.
To keep peace, the British
divided Canada.
Upper Canada (Ontario):
British
Lower Canada (Quebec):
French.
Each would have their own
Governor and elected
legislature.
Lord Durham’s Report
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There were rebellions in
Canada in 1836.
Lord Durham was sent to
check it out and made
two recommendations:
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1: Unite the two parts of
Canada
2: Let Canada control it’s
own affairs.
In 1841, these ideas were
accepted – except Britain
still controlled Canadian
foreign policy and trade.
The Dominion
of Canada
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People wanted to turn Canada
into a “confederation” with
“provinces” with their own
governments – but still a central
government.
They began what was called a
“dominion.” (1867)
They would have a Parliament
(two houses), and a Prime
Minister in charge.
This group would handle
Canada’s own business.
Britain would still handle
Canada's foreign affairs.
The British monarch would still
be Canada’s “head of state.”
Expansion of the Dominion
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Canada continued to
add more provinces
until they reached
the Pacific Ocean
(connected by
railroads).
Hundreds of
thousands of
Europeans kept
moving to Canada’s
new lands.