5. Consequences of Reform

Question 1

What are the 4 areas for this plan?

Answer 1

1. Effects on representation
2. Change of politicians
3. Electorate
4. Growing Agitation

Question 2

Effects on representation

How many boroughs were disenfranchised and how many lost one Member of Parliament (MP)?

Answer 2

56 boroughs were disenfranchised, and a further 30 lost one MP.

Question 3

Effects on representation

How many new boroughs were created, and how many seats were allocated to English counties?

Answer 3

42 new boroughs were created, and 62 seats were allocated to English counties.

Question 4

Effects on representation

What was notable about the creation of 22 of the new boroughs?

Answer 4

They were 2-member constituencies created for new industrial towns such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.

Question 5

Effects on representation

How many boroughs still had less than 500 electors, and how many had fewer than 300?

Answer 5

73 boroughs had less than 500 electors, and 31 had fewer than 300.

Question 6

Effects on representation

What power did the House of Lords retain despite these changes?

Answer 6

The House of Lords retained the power to veto.

Question 7

Change of politicians

What financial requirement was necessary to stand as a Member of Parliament (MP)?

Answer 7

Candidates needed to have an income of £600, making it expensive to stand as an MP.

Question 8

Change of politicians

What proportion of individuals in cabinets from 1830-1866 were from the middle class?

Answer 8

Only 14 out of 103 individuals in cabinets were from the middle class.

Question 9

Change of politicians

How did the percentage of contested seats change before and after 1832?

Answer 9

The percentage of contested seats increased from 30% before 1832 to 50% after

Question 10

Change of politicians

What did the Whigs stand for, and which social class did they attract?

Answer 10

The Whigs stood for moderate reform and attracted the support of those in the middle class.

Question 11

Change of politicians

How long were the Tories/Conservatives in power over the 20-year period from 1832 to 1852?

Answer 11

They were in power for fewer than 7 years.

Question 12

Change of politicians

During which years did the Whigs hold power for an extended period, and who was the Prime Minister?

Answer 12

The Whigs were in power for extended periods, such as 1835-1841 when Viscount Melbourne was Prime Minister.

Question 13

Electorate

How much did the size of the electorate grow from and to after the Great Reform Act of 1832?

Answer 13

It grew from 366,000 to 650,000, approximately 18% of the male population.

Question 14

Electorate

What change did the 1832 Great Reform Act make to property qualifications?

Answer 14

It reduced the property qualification from owning £10 a year or renting £50 a year.

Question 15

Electorate

How many people qualified to vote in Leeds out of a population of 125,000 after the reform?

Answer 15

Only 5000 qualified to vote.

Question 16

Electorate

What was the Whigs’ stance on the property qualification for voting?

Answer 16

They made no attempt to argue against the property qualification, which effectively excluded the working class from voting.

Question 17

Electorate

What was the primary principle behind the Great Reform Act of 1832?

Answer 17

The primary principle was to stabilise the threat of revolution and gain the support of the middle class.

Question 18

Electorate

Which newspaper served as the mouthpiece of radicalism, and what message did it convey?

Answer 18

The “Poor Man’s Guardian,” a penny weekly London Newspaper, conveyed the message that “millions will not stop in the shadows,” indicating a demand for broader political participation.

Question 19

Growing agitation

What were the main demands outlined in the People’s Charter of 1837?

Answer 19

Suffrage for all men over 21, a secret ballot, annual parliaments, abolition of property requirements, and constituencies of equal size.

Question 20

Growing agitation

How many signatures did the first Chartist petition in 1839 receive, and how many were rejected?

Answer 20

1.2 million signatures, with 235 accepted and 46 rejected.

Question 21

Growing agitation

What were the results of the second Chartist petition in 1842?

Answer 21

It received 3.3 million signatures, with 287 accepted and 49 rejected.

Question 22

Growing agitation

How many branches and members did the National Charter Association (NCA) have by April 1842?

Answer 22

The NCA had over 401 branches and 50,000 members.

Question 23

Growing agitation

Who founded London’s Working Men’s Association, and when was it founded?

Answer 23

It was founded by William Lovett in 1836.

Question 24

Growing agitation

What were some of the violent uprisings associated with Chartism?

Answer 24

The Newport Rising in 1839 and the Plug Riots in 1842 were notable examples.

Question 25

Growing agitation

What was the Ten Hour Movement, and who were its leaders?

Answer 25

The Ten Hour Movement, active from 1830 to 1847, was led by Oastler and Fielden.

Question 26

Growing agitation

Who established The Northern Star in Leeds in 1837?

Answer 26

Fergus O’Connor.

Question 27

Growing agitation

What event led to the protest march of 30,000 radicals through London in April 1834?

Answer 27

The sentencing of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six leaders who were sentenced to 7 years of transportation in 1833.

Question 28

Growing agitation

By the 1840s, how many handloom weavers were unemployed?

Answer 28

There were 400,000 unemployed handloom weavers by the 1840s.