Democratic Reform in Britain

Reforming ParliamentIn 1815 Britain was a constitutional monarch w/ parliament and 2 political parties, but was far from democratic. Wealthy nobles and upper class dominated politics. Long standing laws kept many from voting (ie. Catholics & non-Anglican Protestants)Reformers pushed to end religious restrictions, which after fierce debate granted Catholics & non-Anglican Protestant equal political rights.There were rural towns with no populations (rotton boroughs) yet landowners still send members to pariliament. Whereas in new industrial cities such as Manchester and Birmingham there were no seats in Parliament because they weren't population centers in earlier times.In 1830, Whigs and Tories were battling over a bill to reform parliament. (Whigs represented middle class/business interests and Tories represented nobles, landowners, and others whose interests and incomes were rooted in ariculture.)Parliament passed the Great Reform Act in 1832 this act --redistributed seats fairly which ilimiated rotton boroughs and enlarged the electorate (body of people allowed to vote) but kept a property requirement to vote. This didn't bring frull democracy but gave middle class a little more say in politics. Landowning nobles still remained a powerful force in gov & economy.The reform bill didn't help urban workers, so some demanded more radical change. These protesters were called Chartists, they drew up the Peoples Charter, this petition demanded universal male suffrage, annual parliamentary elections, salaries for members of parliament and secret ballot (allow people to cast votes secretly) Chartist presented petitions with over a million signatures, both were ignored.A revolution swept Europe, Chartists marched for the parliament and the government fearing violence supressed the march causing the Chartist movement to decline.A revolution swept Europe, Chartists marched for the parliament and the government fearing violence supressed the march causing the Chartist movement to decline.

The Victorian AgeQueen Victoria had the longest reign in British History. She embodied the values of her age : duty, thrift, honesty, hard work, & respectability, and had strict code of morals and manners. Middle class and working class felt confident in their future under her. Victoria became the revered symbol of British might. During her reign, she noticed growing agitation for social reform. She said "(The lower class) ...earn their bread and riches so deservedly that they cannot be kept back" As Victorian era went on reformers pushed for social rform and economic justice.

A New Era in British PoliticsWhat was the Whigs & Tories became something else. Benjamin Disraeli turned the Tories (nobles & landowners) into the modern Conservatice Party and William Gladstone evolved the Whigs (middle class) into the Liberal Party.The conservatice party passed the Reform Bill of 1867 which gave the vote to many working class men doubling the size of the electorateThe liberal party gave vote to farmworkers and many other men.By the end of the century almost all universal male suffrage, secret ballot, and other Chartist ambitions wre achieved. Britain changed from constituional monarchy to parliamentary democracy. (a form of government where the executive leaders are chosen by and responsible to the legislature and are members of it.)