British Protest (breadth)

Question 1

What was the state of the franchise in 1780?

Answer 1

-franchise was highly restricted
-voting rights based on property ownership
-excluded most of the population

Question 2

Why was the franchise in 1780 considered unrepresentative?

Answer 2

-excluded the majority
-excluded working class men
-excluded all women
-representation skewed in favor of the wealthy

Question 3

What were rotten boroughs?

Answer 3

-small constituencies with very few voters
-disproportional representation

Question 4

What were pocket boroughs?

Answer 4

constituencies controlled by wealthy land owners who effectively chose the MP

Question 5

Why did Pitt the Younger’s reform proposals fail?

Answer 5

Strong opposition from vested interests in parliament who feared losing power

Question 6

What event influenced demands for reform in the 1790s?

Answer 6

The French revolution

Question 7

What was the significance of the Representation of the People Act 1832

Answer 7

-Extended the vote to middle-class men and redistributed seats
-reduced rotten boroughs

Question 8

Why did the 1832 Reform Act fail to satisfy all demands?

Answer 8

-Excluded the working class
-did not establish universal suffrage

Question 9

What key pressure group campaigned for reform in the 1830s and 1840s?

Answer 9

The Chartists
-demanded universal male suffrage and other democratic reform

Question 10

What were the key demands of the Chartists?

Answer 10

Universal male suffrage, secret ballots and equal constituencies

Question 11

What did the 1867 Reform Act achieve?

Answer 11

It extended the vote to skilled urban working-class men, nearly doubling the electorate

Question 12

Who was the key political figure behind the 1867 Reform Act?

Answer 12

Benjamin Disraeli
-conservative politician

Question 13

What impact did the 1867 Reform Act have on urban areas?

Answer 13

granted political representation to the growing industrial cities

Question 14

What did the 1884 Reform Act accomplish?

Answer 14

-extended the vote to rural working class men,
-making representation more equal

Question 15

What was the purpose of the Redistribution Act of 1885?

Answer 15

-balance representation by redrawing constituencies based on population size

Question 16

How did the 1918 representation of the people act change the electorate?

Answer 16

granted the vote to all men over 21 and women over 30 with property qualifications

Question 17

Why were younger women excluded from the 1918 reforms?

Answer 17

Prevent women outnumbering men in the electorate following WW1

Question 18

What major change occurred with the 1928 Representation of the People Act?

Answer 18

Granted equal suffrage to men and women over 21

Question 19

How did the role of women in politics change by 1928?

Answer 19

Women gained full voting rights and began to enter political life

Question 20

What social classes gained representation through parliamentary reforms?

Answer 20

Middle and working class gained representation, breaking the aristocracy’s monopoly

Question 21

What role did the crown play in parliament in 1780?

Answer 21

Monarch had significant influence through patronage, appointments and control over MPs

Question 22

What was ‘economic reform’ in the 1780s?

Answer 22

Efforts to reduce royal expenditure and curb corruption in government spending

Question 23

How did the influence of the crown decline by the early 19th century?

Answer 23

Growing parliamentary power and reforms limiting patronage reduce the monarchs direct control

Question 24

What was the Parliament Act 1911 and why was it significant?

Answer 24

It reduced the power if the House of Lords, limiting their ability to block legislation

Question 25

How did the aristocracy maintain influence after parliamentary reform?

Answer 25

Through social connections, wealth and control over local institutions.

Question 26

Why was the abolition of property qualifications for MPs in 1858 important?

Answer 26

Allowed working class men to stand for election

Question 27

How did the payment of MPs from 1911 change parliament?

Answer 27

Enabled individuals from less wealthy backgrounds to enter politics

Question 28

How did the composition of the House of commons change by 1928?

Answer 28

became more representative of the middle and working classes

Question 29

How do political parties evolve between 1780 and 1928?

Answer 29

Became more organized and responsive to broader electoral demands

Question 30

Who were the main political parties in 1780?

Answer 30

-Whigs -Tories

Question 31

What political party was formed to represent working class interests?

Answer 31

Labour Party 1900

Question 32

What was the impact of Labour growth by 1928?

Answer 32

challenged the two party dominance

Question 33

How did trade unions influence parliamentary reform?

Answer 33

pushed for better representation and workers rights

Question 34

How did the secret ballot effects election outcomes?

Answer 34

Reduced intimidation and made voting more independent

Question 35

What were the effects of the 1885 Redistribution Act?

Answer 35

created constituencies with more equal populations

Question 36

What was the role of the House of Lords before 1911?

Answer 36

Had the power to veto bills passed by the commons

Question 37

How did the 1911 Parliament Act affect the House of Lords?

Answer 37

Limited their veto power to delaying legislation

Question 38

How did the 1911 Parliament Act effect the house of Lords?

Answer 38

limited their veto power to delaying legislation

Question 39

What were the consequences of the Parliament Act 1911

Answer 39

Marked the beginning of the Commons supremacy over the Lords

Question 40

How did the electorate change between 1780 and 1928?

Answer 40

Expanded from a small elite to include nearly all adults

Question 41

How did industrialization impact electoral reform?

Answer 41

It increased demands for representation from urban and working-class populations

Question 42

Why did some politicians resist electoral reform?

Answer 42

Feared losing influence and power to the masses

Question 43

How did women's suffrage campaigns contribute to reform?

Answer 43

Pressured the government to grant voting rights to women

Question 44

What was the impact of WW1 on parliamentary reform?

Answer 44

highlighted the contribution of working class men and women, lead to voting rights expansion

Question 45

How did the railway expansion impact elections?

Answer 45

Improved political campaigning and voter turnout

Question 46

Why was the 1918 representation of the Peoples Act seen as a major step?

Answer 46

Enfranchised millions and acknowledged the sacrifices of war participants

Question 47

How did reforms influence party organization?

Answer 47

parties developed more sophisticated campaigning and organization strategies

Question 48

How did reforms change the power dynamics within the commons?

Answer 48

Made the commons more representative of a society

Question 49

What was the role of political clubs like the Reform Club?

Answer 49

Provided a base for reform-minded politicians and activists

Question 50

Why was universal suffrage achieved gradually?

Answer 50

To balance the interest of different social groups and avoid political instability

Question 51

How did the extension of the franchise affect government policies?

Answer 51

It led to more focus on social welfare and workers rights

Question 52

What is the legacy of the parliamentary reforms by 1928?

Answer 52

The establishment of a democratic system based on universal suffrage

Question 54

What was the NUCCA?

Answer 54

national union of conservatives and constitutional Associations

Question 55

What was the LRC

Answer 55

Labour Representatives committee Set up trade union Supports w/c

Question 56

What was the ILP

Answer 56

Independent Labour Party (1893)

Question 57

What was the LRC

Answer 57

Labour representative committee Improve lives of w/c