Chapter 24: Growth of Western Democracies Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic Section 2: A Century of Reform Section 3: Division & Democracy in France Section 4: Expansion of the United States

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic Summary: In Britain, political change came from gradual reform throughout the 1800s

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic In 1815, Britain had a monarch It also had a parliament with two political parties Still, it was NOT democratic Parliament was made up of the House of Lords (nobles and high-ranking church leaders) and the House of Commons (men elected by the 5% of the population who had the right to vote)

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic Moreover, the House of Lords had the power to veto, or reject, any bill passed by the House of Commons Therefore, reformers wanted more democracy In the 1820s England ended laws that restricted some religious groups from voting Another problem confronting English democracy was the existence of ‘rotten boroughs’

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic The growth of cities had left some rural boroughs, or towns with few voters These rotten boroughs had more than their fair share of seats in Parliament The Reform Act of 1832 gave more seats to large towns It also extended suffrage to all men who owned property

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire from 1837-1901 The Victorian Age was a time for manners hard work, honesty and reform

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic In the 1860s, political parties changed Nobles and landowners of the Tory Party joined the new Conservative Party The mostly Middle-class Whig Party grew into the Liberal Party Both Parties wanted Democracy

Section 1: Britain Becomes more Democratic A Conservative bill extended suffrage to working class men Later, liberals extended suffrage to include farmers and most other men Another Liberal bill limited the veto power of the House of Lords & gave the House of Commons more power

Section 2: A Century of Reform Summary: In the 1800s and early 1900s, Parliament passed many reform measures

Section 2: A Century of Reform From 1815 to 1914, British reformers called for change New laws improved working conditions and allowed trade unions They also provided for free elementary schools reduced harsh punishments for crimes and ended slavery Trade reforms lowered tariffs, or taxes on imported goods

Section 2: A Century of Reform In 1900, the trade unions founded a new political party, the Labour Party It pushed through more laws to protect workers

Section 2: A Century of Reform British women called for the right of suffrage, or the right vote They held huge rallies and marches When these demonstrations failed, some protesters smashed windows and burned buildings A few went on hunger strikes In 1918, Parliament gave the right to vote for women over 30, in 1928 suffrage was extended to include women 18 and over

Section 2: A Century of Reform Throughout the 1800s, Nationalists in Ireland fought British rule Ireland demanded CHANGE!!! No longer would the Irish pay high rents to their British landlords No longer would Irish Catholics turn over their money to support the Church of England No longer would Irish crops go to England while Irish families starved

Section 2: A Century of Reform http://205.213.162.11/project_write/PW_2002/handouts/sampleppt/sld001.htm

Section 2: A Century of Reform In the 1870s, Irish Nationalists called for Home Rule, or local self-government Finally, in 1914, Parliament passed a home rule bill Counties in the South of Ireland became independent in 1921

Section 2: A Century of Reform Quiz – Irish Potato Famine 1.) Give a reason for the severity of the famine. 2.) How did the actions of England worsen this disaster?

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France Summary: Democratic reforms in France took place under Napoleon III’s Second Empire and its successor, the Third Republic

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France After the French Revolution of 1848, Louis Napoleon was elected president of the Second Republic He was the nephew to Napoleon Bonaparte and his famous name won him votes

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France The working class liked his talk of social reform But in 1852, he declared himself Napoleon III ruler of the Second Empire He ruled like a dictator, censoring the press and choosing officials However, he did keep his word to workers, by allowing them to set up unions and free health care

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France While Napoleon III made reforms at home he made major mistakes in foreign policy He tried to take power in Mexico and failed In 1870, a crushing defeat at the hands of Prussia (Bismarck & William I) ended the Second Empire

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France The Third Republic arose It had a more democratic two-house legislature All men could vote for members of the lower house The two houses elected a president, but the real power belonged to the premier, or Prime Minister A constitution separated church & state and guarded human rights

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France In 1894, a scandal shook the Third Republic Captain Albert Dreyfus was jailed for spying for the Germans Some people felt the Army blamed Dreyfus solely because he was Jewish In the end Dreyfus was proven innocent

Section 3: Division & Democracy in France The Dreyfus Affair, along with antisemitism (or prejudice against Jewish people), across Europe worried Jewish leaders Some began to call for a separate state where Jewish people would have the rights and freedoms denied to them in European countries

Section 4: Expansion of the United States Summary: In the United States, as in much of the world, the 1800s were a time of changing borders, growing industry and new laws

Section 4: Expansion of the United States The United States grew and changed greatly in the 1800s Many Americans felt it was their right to settle all the land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Settlers moved west, taking lands from the Native Americans

Section 4: Expansion of the United States In 1803, President Jefferson bought land from France His Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the size of the Unites States

Section 4: Expansion of the United States In 1848, Mexico gave up California and much of the Southwest In 1867, the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia In 1898, it gained Hawaii War with Spain in 1898 gave the U.S. control of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam

Section 4: Expansion of the United States

Section 4: Expansion of the United States During the 1800s, two movements brought greater democracy Abolitionists worked to end slavery Women who worked in the abolitionist movement began to organize a women’s rights movement They called for equality under the law, at work and in schools

Section 4: Expansion of the United States By 1860, economic conflicts split the nation The South relied on farming The North was more industrialized The regions also disagreed on the issue of slavery

Section 4: Expansion of the United States Southern plantations felt they needed slave labor The South worried about President-elect Abraham Lincoln’s opposition to the extension of slavery into new territories

Section 4: Expansion of the United States In 1861, southern states seceded, or separated from the Union The American Civil War began The North won the war in 1865, and the nation was reunited It had been the bloodiest war in American history