1 Britain: The Growth of Democracy - Introduction Lesson starter: 1.Define the term Democracy. 2.Is Britain a democracy? Explain your answer.

2 What is meant by democracy? A political form of government where governing power is derived from the people. Equality and freedom are important concepts.

3 Aristotle Quote “Democracy is when the people and not the men of property are the rulers.”

4 Today, if there is one thing that all politicians from the major political parties agree upon it is that democracy is the best form of government. The idea that every adult should have the right to vote is taken for granted. In the mid-nineteenth century Britain was not a democracy and the majority of politicians did not support democratic values.

5 Voting was not seen as a universal right but as a privilege for the wealthiest class of society. Before 1832 the right to vote depended on three things: 1.Gender. Only men over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. 2.Property. In order to vote, an individual had to own property over a certain value. 3.Location. Small rural boroughs were able to elect more MPs than much larger towns and counties.

6 The idea that all adults should have the right to vote had little support in Parliament, which was dominated by the aristocratic landowners. WHY? They argued that only people with "a stake in the country", that is people who paid taxes and held property, should take part in politics. Ordinary people, especially the poor and the working classes, had no voice in Parliament.

7 Why did these views start to change?

8 The French Revolution of 1789 meant caused a growth of democratic ideas Politicians in Britain worried that a revolution was possible in Britain and this was a terrifying thought

9 Britain was going through the industrial revolution – many people moved to big cities to take jobs in the growing number of mills and factories and in Britain’s growing transport system This meant people lived closer to one another than they had before It also led to overcrowding and slum housing in the cities

10 The huge amount of people in the cities meant that ideas of democracy spread rapidly Newspapers and the growth of railways also helped People started to believe that Britain’s undemocratic system was out of date Most politicians preferred the thought of modernising rather than a revolution

Reform Act The first significant change to the political system came about with the 1832 Reform Act. This act achieved two main things: 1.It extended the franchise so that more men could vote. 2.In an attempt to make the system fairer, it got rid of some of the differences of the electoral system that existed from region to region.

12 Although a step in the right direction, the 1832 Reform Act was still limited Some areas such as the South of England (London) were still able to elect more MPs than other regions Scotland and Northern England (Newcastle etc) were under-represented in Parliament

13 Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, the pressure for more political change from reformist movements grew. The most influential of these movements were the Chartists. The Chartists demanded six key reforms: 1.Manhood suffrage. Every man, regardless of class or property, should have the vote. 2.Annual elections. 3.An end to the regional differences in the electoral system. 4.Secret ballots (no one else would know for whom you voted). 5.The end to property qualifications for MPs. This would mean that a man wishing to be an MP would no longer have to own property or land worth a set amount of money. 6.Payment for MPs. This would enable men who were not already wealthy to stand for election to Parliament.

14 Remember that our unit starts in 1851! So the information discussed so far is background knowledge.

15 STEPS ON THE ROAD TO DEMOCRACY 1832 The Middle Class get the vote The Skilled workers get the vote 1867 The ballot is secret 1872 The unskilled male worker gets the vote 1884 MPs to be paid Power of House of Lords reduced 1911 All men over 21 and women over 30 get the vote 1918 All men and women over 21 get the vote million voters 1.43 million voters 1883 The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act 5.5 million voters (18% of population) 1885 Redistribution of seats

16 Essay Questions You will be asked either: 1.WHY did democracy grow? 2.HOW did democracy grow?

17 Why Democracy? Course Plan 1.Urbanisation and industrialisation. 2.Means to spread democratic ideas – transport: trains, post, newspapers. 3.Attitude to working class vote – education and religion. 4.Pressure groups – trade unions and suffragettes. 5.Political parties.