Ch. 11 Sec. 1 Democratic Reform in Britain

Reforming Parliament  1815 – Britain was a constitutional monarchy with a Parliament, but not very democratic  House of Commons controlled by wealth nobles and squires (< 5% of people could vote)  House of Lords could veto any bill passed by H of C  Catholics and non-Anglican Protestants could not vote  Rotten boroughs (rural towns losing most of its pop.) still had members in Parliament while new industrial centers had none  1815 – Britain was a constitutional monarchy with a Parliament, but not very democratic  House of Commons controlled by wealth nobles and squires (< 5% of people could vote)  House of Lords could veto any bill passed by H of C  Catholics and non-Anglican Protestants could not vote  Rotten boroughs (rural towns losing most of its pop.) still had members in Parliament while new industrial centers had none

Reform Act of 1832  Whigs – rep. middle-class and business interests and Tories – nobles, landowners and ag. Interests  Great Reform Act  Redistributed seats in Parliament  Enlarged the electorate (still a property requirement)  Chartists (more radical protesters) petitions for reforms were ignored and marches suppressed but passed in time:  Universal male suffrage  Secret ballot  Annual elections  Whigs – rep. middle-class and business interests and Tories – nobles, landowners and ag. Interests  Great Reform Act  Redistributed seats in Parliament  Enlarged the electorate (still a property requirement)  Chartists (more radical protesters) petitions for reforms were ignored and marches suppressed but passed in time:  Universal male suffrage  Secret ballot  Annual elections

The Victorian Age  Queen Victoria was the great symbol of British life  Not a huge impact politically but represented Victorian values:  Duty, thrift, honesty, hard work, and respectability  Expanded its huge empire overseas  Middle class confidence in Britain’s future  Continued push for reform  Queen Victoria was the great symbol of British life  Not a huge impact politically but represented Victorian values:  Duty, thrift, honesty, hard work, and respectability  Expanded its huge empire overseas  Middle class confidence in Britain’s future  Continued push for reform

New Era in Politics  1860’s - Political Parties reorganized:  Tories became the modern Conservative Party (Benjamin Disraeli)  Pushed through the Reform Bill of 1867  Gave vote to many working class men  Whigs (William Gladstone) developed into the Liberal Party  1880s – gave the vote to farm workers and most other men  1860’s - Political Parties reorganized:  Tories became the modern Conservative Party (Benjamin Disraeli)  Pushed through the Reform Bill of 1867  Gave vote to many working class men  Whigs (William Gladstone) developed into the Liberal Party  1880s – gave the vote to farm workers and most other men

Limiting the Lords  By 1900 Britain was a parliamentary democracy  Prime minister and cabinet are chosen by parliament and responsible to it  1911 bill greatly lessened the power of the House of Lords and gradually became mostly a ceremonial body  By 1900 Britain was a parliamentary democracy  Prime minister and cabinet are chosen by parliament and responsible to it  1911 bill greatly lessened the power of the House of Lords and gradually became mostly a ceremonial body