1.  Rotten and pocket boroughs  Over powerful king  Antiquated system  New M/C interest, Capitalism  French Revolution 1789  Radical Press  Repressive government – esp. from 1815 - 22  Working class dissatisfaction  Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815  End of war, 1815 Issues concerning Parliamentary reform

2.  Rotten and Pocket Boroughs:  Control by landowner or King – Electorate & Parliamentary seat  Uncontested elections  Example of old medieval world – Feudal System  Useful Parliamentary tool  Over Powerful King:  Patronage – Unfair means of increasing royal authority  Largest landowner/landlord in the country  Excessive influence on legislature for a democracy

3.  Antiquated system – esp. borough voting:  X5 types of borough qualification  Open voting  Bribery / intimidation / corruption  Rotten / pocket boroughs  No reflection of population movement (South > North)  No reflection of new interest, Industrialists  Undemocratic & Out of kilter with economic & social changes

4.  New M/C interest, Capitalism:  Parliament dominated by landowners  M/C have no representation in Parliament  Corn Laws 1815 damage capitalists  Capitalists creating International economic & imperial growth  Large taxes and no political voice  Providing jobs

5.  French Revolution and radical ideas from 1789:  Initially promotes calls for moderate reform in the UK  From 1793 reform calls subdued by Napoleonic Wars  New ideas among masses of a new social order  Tom Paine: ‘Rights of Man’ – 1 st treatise on Human Rights  Puts fear into upper and middle classes  Promotes repressive legislation

6. Radical Press:  Raises mass awareness of benefits of reform - William Cobbett’s: Political Register & Twopenny Trash - Thomas Wooler’s: Black Dwarf, 1817 –24 - William Sherwin’s: Weekly Political Register  Gives a voice to minority opinion  Publicises incidents of corruption and government repression  Advertises Parliamentary Reform Events  Encourages improvement of literacy levels in the w/c

7.  Repressive government (Esp. from 1815 – 22):  Fear of revolution prompts suspension of civil rights  Determined to protect good order & elevated position  Born to rule by divine right, revolutionaries go to hell  Residuum would destroy the country  Power of the state  Repressive legislation Seditious Meetings/Materials Act (1817) Suspension of Habeus Corpus (1817) Repeal of the Combination Acts (1799) The Game Law (1816)

8.  Working class dissatisfaction:  Appalling living and working conditions - The Death League - Child Labour - Routine exploitation at home and work  W/C victims of unrestrained capitalism  Secret vote for all men over 21 demanded  W/C voters elect working men to parliament  W/C government pass laws to benefit the w/c

9.  Napoleonic Wars 1793 - 1815:  Employment level increases nationwide  War creates demands for goods, Govt supplying soldiers  Patriotic spirit from being under attack  Little / No working class agitation  Demands for reform during wartime seen as treachery  Subdues radical demands, w/c happy to live everyday lives  Shows a lack of commitment to the campaign for the vote

10.  End of the Napoleonic Wars, 1815:  End of government contracts & cohesive patriotism  Unemployment leads to; - Poverty - Hunger - Agitation riots - Petitions  Fearful government & M/C Revert to post French Rev repression  Execution, imprisonment, transportation, legislation  Power of the state – Must be persuaded, Can’t be forced