Assess the significance of popular pressure in bringing about improved representation and greater democracy in Britain in the period 1830-1931

Firstly the House of Lords reform where the voting rights of most hereditary peers was abolished. This makes the UK less undemocratic rather then more democratic. This is due to the fact that the House of Lords as a whole is an unelected chamber and therefore undemocratic, however by removing the voting rights of some

The restriction of civil liberties was also a major part of the original rebellions. One act passed by England’s government was the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory act said that the British government could pass any laws needed in order to hold together Britain and

Though many laws were passed taxing the colonists, America had no say in the British Parliament. Patrick Henry’s speech embodies this argument when he says “We have no representatives in the British Parliament…… The Stamp Act is against the law. We must not obey it” (Doc. 1). This act of defiance caught the colonists’ attention and made them feel that perhaps they could change the laws after all. Another act of defiance against the British was the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was a riot against the British that involved colonists dumping tons of tea from British ships into the sea. Britain then passed a law that said that the Boston Harbor would be closed until the colonists paid for the tea. This angered the colonists even more, and eventually led to the Revolution. As you can see, many rebellious deeds inspired the colonists and helped them confront the British.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs are a significant case in showing the increased involvement of the public in speaking against the justice system. In 1834, members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers were transported under an outdated law that prohibited the taking of oaths, when they protested for a better wage. Perhaps what brought the most sympathy for the case was the fact that their protest was peaceful, despite the history of violent protest among workers with riots and groups such as the Luddites. The authorities were equally unsympathetic to this case as they were to the other, more violent movements. Even after public interest attracted an 800,000 signature petition, protesters were oppressed at a demonstration in Oldham. The public was aware of the struggles of the poor worker, but the government still dismissed it; refusing to recognise the desperate circumstance of workers and citing greed as the motive of the Martyrs. Clearly the case had little impact on government opinions, with the treatment of the Chartists and the Rebecca Rioters later in the same decade being the same. But an important contribution of the Tolpuddle Martyrs case was the impact it had on public opinion, and the increased popularity of worker’s unions. This case might suggest that reform is unrelated to the attitudes of society at

Rebellion is not only caused by a restless revolutionary riot, but it can also be caused by small simple actions that

Before the “Age of Jackson”, voting was only permitted to white property owning males and taxpayers; however, during the 1820-1830’s, most states extended the voting requirements to now include factory workers, artisans, laborers, and non-landowners or major taxpayers. The arguments used to recruit voters to help expand suffrage to the “common man”, or to recruit voters to help maintain the same voting system, during the “Age of Jackson” are debated throughout documents one through six and provide viable evidence to support each side.

Another problem with the voting system was the lack of a private vote. Employers could influence the way their employees voted by threatening to punish them if they failed to vote for their preffered candidate. This problem was fixed in 1872, when William Gladstone's government passed the Ballot Act which guaranteed a secret system of voting. Although the immediate results of the reform act were not earth shattering, the country had taken, as Lord Derby said, "a leap in the dark." Strikes, union advances, and labor organization were powerful forces for change in the final years of the century. William Gladstone was elected as Prime Minister of England for the second time in 1880 and the most important legislative action that took place during his second ministry was the Reform Act of 1884. The reform act was rejected the first time it was presented to the House of Lords, but accepted the second time because it was accompanied by a redistribution act, which had the following implications. "(i) seventy-nine towns with populations smaller than 15,000 lost their right to elect an MP; (ii) thirty-six with populations between 15,000 and 50,000 lost one of their MPs and became single member constituencies; (iii) towns with populations between 50,000 and 165,000 were given two seats; (iv) larger towns and the country constituencies were divided into single member constituencies" (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PR1885.htm). The actual Reform Act of 1884

In response to the passage of the Townshend Duties, the liberty riots that began and continued throughout much of 1768 were representative of the growing displeasure among British colonists. Angry mobs tarred and feathered customs officials and other British officers, mock hangings and funerals for liberty were held, and all of this prompted people to write and proliferate revolutionary ideas. While these acts were committed as an obvious attack on the policies of the British parliament, the majority of colonists still believed they belonged in the British empire, and were fighting for equal rights within it.

The people were finally being valued and everyone was given a chance to work towards improving the things taking place around them. While it is very debatable, the actions that were taken and how individuals started to think on their own cause the Revolution to be a special and more defining type of radical. There has never been a revolution that has been born out of ideas alone and this time, it was at least the beginning of seeing change. Starting with the Tories and Whigs reformation, carrying out through the war and even the justice and social systems, the radicalism started growing and spreading. There was still a long way to go and a huge separation between conservative and liberal views, but it was a revolution for the people. It was special for the 18th century and was able to be carried out due to the segregation of beliefs, the magnum opus, and the acts of the

The American Revolution was a gradual and inevitable departure from which the colonists felt they could not avoid. American colonists took many preliminary acts of rebellion and warning, such as boycotting taxed goods and the “Petition to the King”, before any major fighting had occurred.

Almost all of the leaders in the House of Commons and in some other sections of politics, such as newspapers, called for a reform to the British Electoral System, which ultimately led to reform and the later repealing of the Corn Laws. Numerous reasons were given as to why reform was vital for Britain, a country which was having some difficulties since the Corn Laws were introduced 1815. Most of these reasons were economic, as taxes were high, it hurt the middle class, and there was possibly even some despotism in England. All of these factors led to a commotion in England for a reform which finally came in 1832.

The Great Reform Act passed in 1832 was brought in due to a number of inside and outside pressures. For example, the fall of the Tories and the economic crisis of 1829-30. Britain pre 1832 was known as one of the most unrepresentative countries. English counties elected 82 MPs-only men who owned property worth over 40 shillings a year could elect these MPs (only the ruling classes.)Boroughs or towns elected 394 MPs-most voters were in southern England therefore new industrial cities such as Birmingham & Manchester had no MPs to represent them. There were rotten boroughs and pocket boroughs- corruption and bribery. In some areas there was no competition about who to elect the local

Democracy in the United States became prominent in the early to mid 19th century. Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the United States, was inaugurated in 1829 and was best known as the person who mainstreamed democracy in America. Because he came from a humble background, he was the “genuine common man.” (Foner, pg. 303) He claimed he recognized the needs of the people and spoke on behalf of the majority [farmers, laborers]. However, critics of Jackson and democracy called him “King Andrew I” because of his apparent abuse of presidential power [vetoing]. These critics believed he favored the majority so much that it violated the U.S. constitution, and they stated he was straying too far away from the plan originally set for the

This with other contributing laws, begun to shape Government system in England. Setting in stone, introduction of the Local Government Act 1929. Which enabled, The Poor law boards Guardians, replaced by Local Authorities. (www2.rgu.ac.uk)

Social change in Britain has been achieved primarily through the hard work of organized political groups. These groups created events to recruit and educate supporters of social equality to join them in fighting for progress. The Women’s Suffrage Movement between 1866 and 1928 in Britain is no exception to this trend. The reason for the great efficacy of these political groups, including the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and the Women’s Social and Political Union, was the women who pioneered the groups and fought alongside them to create the change that they believed in. The goal of these political groups was finally realized in 1928 with the passing of the Representation of the People Act. However, the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain would not have been successful without the influential actions of several significant women. In addition to the overall necessity of female leadership for British Women’s Suffrage, the central efforts of Millicent Fawcett, Lydia Becker, and Emmeline Pankhurst particularly played a large role in the movement’s success.