Britain, Ireland & France Flashcards
(42 cards)
Britain government
In 1815, Britain was a Constitutional Monarchy with two political parties, not very democratic at all, The House of Commons was elected but less than 5% of the male pop could vote.
House of Lords
One of gov’t houses of Britain, was hereditary and made up of wealthy nobles. landlords and clergy, could veto any bill passed by the House of Commons
Rotten Boroughs
rural British towns that had lost most of their population to migration to other cities during the Industrial Rev, but continued to have representatives in Parliament while growing cities like Manchester had no seats
The Great Reform Act of 1832
Got rid of “rotten Boroughs”
Gave representation in Parliament to new industrial cities
Expanded the right to vote to approx. 20% of the male population but kept a property requirement
Gave the middle classes a greater representationn in Parliament
Whigs & Tories
Whigs= political party representing middle class and business people Tories= political party representing nobles, landlords, and agriculture
The People’s Charter of 1838 (The Chartist Movement)
Workers began to press for more rights with the charter, which called for:
-universal male suffrage
-annual Parliament elections
-salaries for Parliamentarians
-the secret ballot aka the Australian ballot
At first these requests were ignored by Parliament, but by the 1880s most of the demands were accepted
The Victorian Age
Period of time under Queen Victoria in which the British Empire reached the height of its power and size
Queen Victoria
ruled as queen from 1837 to 1901 (the Victorian Age), had little real power, but embodied British values like duty, honesty, hard work, respect and manners
married to Albert, who died very young
Benjamin Disraeli
Politician and Prime Minister in the 1860s that changed the “tories” into the modern Conservative Party and helped pass the Second Reform Act of 1867
Second Reform Act of 1867
Expanded vote to 1 in 3 males over the age of 21
William Gladstone
Politician and Prime Minister of 1870s and 80s who changed “whigs” into the Liberal Party, passed the Third Reform Act of 1884
Third Reform Act of 1884
Expanded vote to 2 of 3 males over the age of 21
Fourth Reform Act of 1918
Brought about by the outbreak of WWI, expanded the right to vote to ALL males over the age of 21, veterans over age 19 and females over 30
Parliament Bill of 1911
removed the veto power of the House of Lords over tax bills passed by the House of Commons, the House of Lords could now only discuss and delay House bills, made the House of Commons the power”house”
The “Corn” Laws
a series of protective tariffs on all forms of imported "corn" (grains), supported by British farmers because they kept prices high, opposed by the working class, merchants and free-traders because it hurt trade and made prices too high Repealed in 1846 (a victory for the working class and capitalism)
Women Demanding the Right to Vote
In 1890, no countries allowed women the right to vote. By 1900, New Zealand was the only one. By 1913, Australia, Finland and Norway.
Emmeline Pankhurst
early leader of the British Women’s Rights Movement, encourages a more aggressive/violent form of activism including arson, vandalism, hunger strikes, and physical attacks on members of Parliament
The “Irish Question”
Ireland was colonized by English and Scottish Protestant settlers, the Irish resisted British rule and resented absentee landlords who charged high rents for the land
They lived in desperate poverty and rebellions were common
Daniel O’Connell
aka “the Liberator” Irish Catholic nationalist leader who campaigned for the repeal of unfair laws and improved rights and treatment of the Irish
wanted “Ireland for the Irish”
Leader of the Irish Catholic League
The Irish Catholic League
Led by Daniel O’Connell
Held protests and rallies to get rid of unfair laws and gain improved rights
The Catholic Emancipation Act
Passed by Parliament in 1829 in response to nationalist groups, gave Catholics the right to vote and hold political office, did not get rid of other unfair laws like eviction for unpaid rent and the ban of the teaching of Gaelic in schools
Irish Potato Famine
Under British rule, 3/4 of Irish land was used for export crops (wheat)
The potato became the staple food for peasants
A potato Blight broke out, decreasing food supply and causing widespread famine- “The Great Hunger”
in 4 years, 1 million Irish peasants starved to death while landlords continued to export grain, 3 million migrated to the U.S, Canada and Austrailia
Enraged Irish pop, increased nationalism
Charles Trevelyan
British official in charge of Irish relief, told the Irish to “depend on themselves rather than gov’t assistance”
The Fenian Brotherhood
A militant Irish nationalist group that attempted to liberate Ireland by force