Britain 1780-1928 : Terms, Concepts & Personalities
- Created by: LeksiCameron
- Created on: 10-11-17 18:54
The Monarchy
1780: The Crown could still appoint Prime Ministers and ministers through the use of patronage (the power to control appointments to office or the right to privileges)
1928: Powers of the Crown much reduced; the political parties and public determined who the Prime Minister would be
Key Landmarks:
- 1780s - 'Economical Reforms'
- 1832 - Representation on the People Act
- 1880 - Prime Minister Appointment
Parliament (Lords & Commons)
1780: Nearly half of all Mmembers of Parliament in the House of Commons owed their seats to peers in the House of Lords
1928: The Lords could still delay legislation but not could no longer reject it; they also could not reject any budgets
Key Landmarks:
- 1832 - Reform Act
- 1909 - People's Budget
- 1911 - Parliament Act
Parliament (Membership)
1780: The House of Commons was dominated by the aristocracy, often being kinsmen of the Lords
1928: Most Members of Parliament were middle-class (such as commerical and professionals) and dozens of working-class
Key Landmarks:
- 1858 - Abolition of property qualification
- 1911 - Salaries introduced for Member's of Parliament
Political Parties
1780: Party organisation was loose - Both Tories and Whigs were dominated by aristocracy
1928: Tories were now Conservatives, Whigs were now Liberals (Formed in c. 1859) and the Labour party were formed c. 1900
Key Landmarks:
- 1832 - Reform Act
- 1834 - Tamworth Manifesto
- 1867 - Reform Act
Franchise
1780: Only 5% of the population (11% of men) could vote; no women had the vote
1928: Universal sufferage achieved for all men and women the age of 21 and over
Key Landmarks:
- 1832 - Reform Act
- 1867 - Reform Act
- 1884/5 - Reform Act
- 1918 - Reform Act
- 1928 - Reform Act
- 1839-1848 - Chartist Movement
- 1903-17 - Womens Social and Political Union
Population
1780: England, Scotland and Wales - 10 million
Irleand - 14 million
1928: 45 million for the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Norther Ireland)
Key Landmarks:
- 1780-1850 - Main phase of Industrial Revolution (Facilitated urban growth)
Economy
1780: Industrail Revolution just beginning; around 35% of population in urban areas in 1801
1928: Britain still dominated by declining staple industries (coal, iron, steel, cotton)
Key Landmarks:
- 1790s - Economic downturn due to agitation
- 1840s - Economic downturn due to agitation
- 1910-20s - Economic downturn due to agitation
UK's International Status
1780: Britain involved in War of American Independence; the Empire still growing
1928: Briain still a major world power but increasingly struggling following World War One
Key Landmarks:
- 1780s - American War of Independence
- 1957 - Indian Mutiny : Great War
British Monarchs (1780 - 1928)
- George III (1760 - 1820)
- Heavy expenditure during thr War of American Independence and use of patronage to infuence parliament led to calls for the powers of the Crown and royal expenditure to be curbed
- George IV (1830-1840)
- William IV (1830-37)
- Under pressure from the majority Whig government to support the 1832 Reform Bill, he persuaded the Lords to abandon their opposition to the bill
- Victoria (1837-1901)
-Wished to appont Lord John Hartington as Prime Minister in 1880, but had to appoint Gladstone instead due to preferenced in the Liberal Party at the time
- Edward VII (1901-1910)
- George V (1910-1936)
Prime Ministers (1783 - 1929)
- William Pitt 'The Younger' (1783 - 1806)
- Youngest ever Prime Minister - attempted to make some parliamentary reforms, but also led the government's repsonce against radicals
- Earl Charles Grey (1830 - 4)
- Whig Prime Minister, the man behind Reform Bills, led to the Reform Act of 1832. Enfranchised the middle class but not the working class
- Sir Robert Peel: (1834 - 5) (1841 - 6)
- Turned the Tories into the Conservative, showed that parliament could still pass laws in favour of workers, e.g the Repeal of the Corn Laws (1846)
- Lord John Russell (1846-52) (1865-6)
- Whig/Liberal in favour of reform, proposed Reform Bill 1866; was defeated but acted as a stimulus for the Conservative Reform Act of the following year
Prime Ministers (1783 - 1929) Part 2
- Benjamin Disraeli (1868, 1974 - 80)
- Main man behind 1967 Reform Act as Conservative leader in the Commons
- William Gladstone (1868-74, 1880-85. 1886, 1892-4)
- Prime Minister 4 times; Introduced 3rd Reform Act; Endranchised better-off urban working class
- Herbert Asquith (1908-16)
- Liberal; PM at outbreak of WWI; Opposed to female suffrage
- David Lloyed George (1916-22)
- Sympatheitc to female suffrage; Some women gained vote in 1918; People's Budge 1909
- Stanley Baldwin (1923-4, 1924-9)
- Consevative; PM during General Strike 1926, PM when women got the vote 1928; Equal Franshise Act
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