Reforms Revolutions and War Section 1 Reforms Revolutions

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Reforms in the British Empire Preview • Starting Points Map: European Possessions • Main Idea / Reading Focus • Social and Political Reforms • Victorian Era Voting Reforms • Quick Facts: British Reforms • Changes in the British Empire

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Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Reforms in the British Empire Main Idea During the 1800 s Great Britain passed many democratic reforms that changed the way people lived and worked. Reading Focus • How did social and political reforms change life in Britain during the early 1800 s? • What reforms helped to shape the Victorian Era? • What changes transformed the British Empire?

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Social and Political Reforms During the 1830 s industrialization led to rapid changes in British society, and some began to call for social and political reform. Industrial Revolution Reform Act of 1832 • Growing prosperity of working, middle classes led to greater demands for political reform • 1830 s, demands for reform too strong to ignore • 1800, landowning aristocrats made up most of Parliament • Some industrial cities had no representatives at all • Only wealthy male property owners could vote; public office restricted to men of wealth • Liberals challenged old aristocratic, conservative order • Reform Act of 1832 gave industrial cities representation • Also gave voting rights to middle-class men who owned certain amount of property • Women excluded from voting

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Sadler and the Factory Act • While Parliament debated Reform Act, one member investigated treatment of children in Britain’s textile factories • Michael Sadler showed harmful conditions endured by child workers • Report noted physical mistreatment, long hours, low wages Reaction to Report • As result of Sadler’s report, Parliament passed Factory Act, 1833 • Act limited working hours of children in textile factories, made it illegal for teenagers to work more than 12 hours per day • Children between ages 9 and 13 had to receive two hours schooling per day

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Other Reforms New Laws • 1833, Parliament abolished slavery in Great Britain, all British Empire • Government compensated slave owners depending on how many they freed • Parliament also passed new public health and crime laws Chartism • 1839, group called Chartists worked for voting rights for all men • Name from People’s Charter, petition sent to Parliament demanding voting rights, secret ballot, annual elections, pay for representatives in Parliamentary Reaction • People’s Charter rejected; Chartists gained wide popular support, staged uprisings; large revolt, 1848 • Chartists did not see immediate results but many reforms passed eventually

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Compare How did the demands of Chartism compare to the voting reforms passed in 1832? Answer(s): 1832 voting reforms redrew borough lines, extended vote to many middle-class property owners, gave parliamentary representation to many industrial towns, but not to industrial workers; Chartists called for additional reforms, extending the vote to all men, vote by secret ballot, annual elections, payment of representatives in Parliament

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Victorian Era Voting Reforms In 1837 Queen Victoria became the ruler of Great Britain. The Victorian Era lasted until 1901. It was a time of great change, including voting reforms that made the country more democratic. Disraeli and Gladstone • 1868– 1885, two influential prime ministers, William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli, elected several times Liberal vs. Conservative • Gladstone, Liberal party, took more progressive approach to solving society’s problems • Disraeli, Conservative party, wanted to preserve traditions of past Male Suffrage • Disraeli put forth new reform bill to extend voting rights to more working men; passed 1867 • Another law created the secret ballot; discouraged bribery, intimidation

Section 1 Reforms, Revolutions, and War Women’s Suffrage Question of Rights 1867 Reform Bill • 1800 s, women not seen as equals to men; could not own property, not legal guardians of their children • Disraeli argued that if a woman could be queen, she should be able to vote • Many women thought right to vote would increase power in society • Queen Victoria against women’s suffrage, called it “mad, wicked folly” • Tried to add women’s suffrage to 1867 reform bill but did not succeed • Suffragists tried but made little progress for nearly 40 years; lobbied, signed petitions, educated public

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Women’s Social and Political Union Early 1900 s, women grew more frustrated with slow pace of suffrage movement • Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) said, “You have to make more noise than anybody else. ” • Government continued to ignore issue of women’s suffrage – WSPU adopted destructive tactics – Many suffragists went to prison • 1918, Parliament granted vote to women over age 30 – By 1928 voting rights for British women were on the same basis as British men.

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Summarize What reforms were passed during the late 1800 s? Answer(s): voting rights expanded for men, secret ballot created

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Changes in the British Empire Beyond Britain, people living in other parts of the British Empire were also moved by the spirit of reform. In the mid-1800 s people in Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand took steps to rule themselves. Ireland • 1801, Ireland joined United Kingdom • Some Irish hated British rulers, particularly British landlords who had power to evict Irish farmers • Policies created to help British industry hurt Irish agriculture Potato Famine • Mid-1800 s, potato crop failed several times, left many with no food, no income • Potatoes Irish peasants’ main food source; famine swept Ireland • Without money to pay rent, many evicted from homes During the years of the famine, about 1 million people starved, and about 1. 5 million others emigrated—many to the United States.

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Ireland Exports • Ireland continued to export food through famine years • Shipments left Irish ports for England under heavy guard by British soldiers • British officials believed interfering with trade would harm British economy Resentful of British Rule • Famine left many Irish more resentful of British rule than ever • 1860 s, many Irish began to fight for change • Some wanted independence, others home rule within United Kingdom Self-Government • Parliament debated several bills to grant home rule to Ireland, 1800 s • None of them passed • Ireland did not receive limited self-government until 1920

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Canada Colonies Rebellions • Britain’s colonies in Canada very different • Diversity created lack of unity, led to calls for reform • Some mainly French-speaking, others mainly English-speaking • 1837, rebellions in Canadian colonies convinced British reform necessary Unity Dominion • 1838, Lord Durham sent as governor-general to Canada • 1867, Parliament granted colonies power to govern selves • Wanted colonies to unite, form “great and powerful people” • Canada become dominion, selfgoverning colony; continued to expand westward

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Australia • Since 1700 s, Britain had used Australia as place to send criminals • Mid-1800 s, other colonists began to settle there, attracted by copper, gold deposits • 1901, Britain granted self-rule to Commonwealth of Australia; established own parliament but remained part of British empire New Zealand • British government made agreement with local Maori people, land in exchange for self-rule • New Zealand became a dominion of Great Britain • 1893, New Zealand became first country to give women the vote

Reforms, Revolutions, and War Section 1 Compare and Contrast How did self-rule come about in Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? Answer(s): potato famine left Irish resentful, 1920: limited self-rule; 1867: British granted some Canadian colonies self-rule; Australia granted selfrule; Maoris in New Zealand exchanged land for self-rule