Britain Booklet 3

Question 1

What % of the population could vote,pre reform, because the franchise was based on property?

Answer 1

5%

Question 2

In 1831, how many men had the right to vote out of a population of 13.89m?

Answer 2

400 000

Question 3

How many MPs could a county send to parliament?

Answer 3

2 MPs

Question 4

What are the 6 different types of borough?

Answer 4

1. Rotten
2. Pocket
3. Scot and lot
4. Potwalloper
5. Corporation
6. Freeman

Question 5

State a fact that shows the problem with representation caused by boroughs?

Answer 5

By 1831, Lancashire had a population of 1.3m and had 14 MPs, while Cornwall had a population of 300 000 and 42 MPs

Question 6

What fraction of elections were uncontested?

Answer 6

2/3

Question 7

What was the name of armed groups who intimidated voters?

Answer 7

‘Lambs’

Question 8

What was the name for the kidnapping of rivals’ supporters until the end of the election?

Answer 8

‘Cooping’

Question 9

What was the view of the Tories which was against reform?

Answer 9

They argued that reform would increase social tension by setting country against town and land against industry, because not all areas could be represented by redistributing seats

Question 10

Who was the anti-reform leader of the Tories?

Answer 10

Lord Liverpool

Question 11

What was the view of the whigs towards reform?

Answer 11

They supported moderate reform, yet they were not revolutionaries nor democrats. They would gain votes of the middle class if they supported reform

Question 12

In October 1795, a demonstration by the radical society (the LCS) in Copenhagen fields attracted how many people?

Answer 12

Over 100 000

Question 13

How much did it cost to join LCS?

Answer 13

A penny a week, therefore was ‘open to all’

Question 14

In may 1972, how many signatures on a petition calling for make suffrage did the Sheffield society for constitutional information gather?

Answer 14

10 000

Question 15

By 1793, how many copies of Thomas Paine’s the rights of man had been sold?

Answer 15

200 000

Question 16

What did poor relief grow from in 1775 and to in 1817?

Answer 16

£2 million to £8 million

Question 17

Who was Henry Hunt?

Answer 17

A wealthy landowner who was fed up with the corrupt political system and organised mass meetings where he spoke publicly to call for reform.

Question 18

The APLP grew to be the largest political organisation in the country with how many branches nationwide?

Answer 18

2000

Question 19

In December 1795, what 2 acts were passed to reduce the calls for reform?

Answer 19

1. The treasonable and seditious practices act - broadened the law of treason.
   2.the seditious meetings act - banned meetings of over 50 people whose object was to discuss reform.

Question 20

What did the corn law of 1815 do?

Answer 20

Guaranteed protection of wheat prices for landowners, guaranteeing a price of 80 shilling a quarter tonne before foreign grain could enter the market?

Question 21

How was the corn law of 1815 perceived?

Answer 21

As a piece of class legislation to maintain landowners profits whilst making grain more expensive for consumers

Question 22

What were the negative impacts of the Income tax repeal 1816?

Answer 22

Indirect taxes were increased on popular items such as beer and sugar. This harmed the common workers more than the wealthy because they suffered from the inflation.

Question 23

What took place at the spa fields riots in 1816-17?

Answer 23

First meeting - peaceful protest of 20 000 people.
Second meeting - crowd of 200 marched to the Tower of London, was dispersed and the leaders arrested.
Third meeting - crowd attacked the prince regents coach at the opening of parliament

Question 24

What was the Peterloo massacre?

Answer 24

August 1819, 60 000 people gathered to listen to henry hunt at at peters fields but the yeomanry were sent to arrest him.
The crowds swamped them, the 15th hussars were sent to protect the yeomanry and as a result 11 people died, 400-600 wounded.

Question 25

List the 6 acts…

Answer 25

1. Seditious meetings prevention act
2. The seizure of arms act
3. The blasphemous and seditious libels act
4. The training prevention act
5. The newspaper and stamp duties act
6. The misdemeanours act

Question 26

What were the swing riots?

Answer 26

They spread to 20 counties and mostly in lol we machine breaking, arson, assaults on landlords, demands for higher wages and strikes.
Between February and March 1830, 200 petitions were sent to parliament demanding tax reductions in rural areas.

Question 27

How many people did the BPU attract during the days of may?

Answer 27

200 000

Question 28

How many unions were there in Britain?

Answer 28

100 unions, 1/3 in the north and 1/3 in the midlands

Question 29

Name an individual part of the radical press?

Answer 29

Richard Carlisle

Question 30

What year did Wellington allow the passing of the catholic emancipation act, which heartened the radicals?

Answer 30

1829

Question 31

George III and George IV opposed reform bills that the whigs had tried to introduce in what years?

Answer 31

1792, 1793, 1797

Question 32

Who was the new king after George IV who supported the whigs, reform and a new government in November 1830?

Answer 32

William IV

Question 33

Who was the whigs leader in 1830, and how did he view himself compared to the ‘men of property’?

Answer 33

Earl grey , saw himself as the ‘safe half-way house’ between the current system and radical extremism

Question 34

When George canning (Tory) was made PM in April 1827, what happened?

Answer 34

Duke of Wellington, Robert peel and nearly half the Tory cabinet refused to serve under him.
He was forced to make a government with many whigs and died just 4 months later.

Question 35

What gave the whigs their success in the June 1830 general election?

Answer 35

Poor harvest, rising unemployment and a revival of radical demands for reform

Question 36

In the downfall of the Tory party, political unions grew. How many petitions were handed to parliament from October 1830 - April 1831 calling for reform?

Answer 36

3000 petitions

Question 37

Thousands of swing rioters were arrested and put on trial, what was the guilty results?

Answer 37

19 executed, over 450 transported for life

Question 38

When was the first reform bill introduced?

Answer 38

March 1831

Question 39

In the first reform bill, what was the changes on boroughs?

Answer 39

Aimed to redistribute 100 rotten boroughs to the industrial north and midlands

Question 40

When was the second reform bill?

Answer 40

July 1831

Question 41

By how many votes was the second reform act rejected by the lords?

Answer 41

By 41 votes

Question 42

After the second reform bill was rejected, what happened in Bristol?

Answer 42

Rioters controlled Bristol for 3 days, when troops were sent to restore order 12 rioters were killed and over 100 injured

Question 43

When was the third reform bill?

Answer 43

December 1831

Question 44

When did the reform act become law?

Answer 44

The days of may scared the lords and so it was law from June 1832

Question 45

Name some features of the days of may (1832)

Answer 45

Anti-Tory petitions
Protest marches in the north and midlands
Francis place planned to withdraw money from banks simultaneously to trigger a banking crisis. (‘to stop the duke, go for gold’)

Question 46

What happened to the size of the electorate after the 1832 great reform act?

Answer 46

Rose from 366 000 to 650 000

Question 47

How many new boroughs were created from the great reform act?

Answer 47

42

Question 48

How many seats were given to English counties from the great reform act?

Answer 48

62 seats