Democratic Reform After The Chartists

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  • Democratic Reform After The Chartists
    • Social and Political Reform 1832-1867
      • The voting system put in place by the 1832 Reform Act stayed in tact up to 1867 but was put under pressure through the 1840s and 1850s by reformist movements.
      • By the early 1860s around 1.5 million men could vote out of a population of 30 million.
      • The lack of secret ballots meant many voters were bribed or intimidated.
      • The system was still very unfair and did not offer equal representatio-n.
    • Parliamentary Reform Act 1867
      • Increased the number of men allowed to vote to almost 2.5 million.
      • MPs did not believe that the working class would make huge demands on MPs.
      • Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli believed that the working class only cared about 'keeping housed, fed and clothed'.
      • This act gave most working class men in towns the right to vote. However, voting was still dominated by the middle classes.
      • The biggest change was that people who rented property could vote.
    • Reforms 1870-1871
      • The Education Act was passed in 1870 which led to 3000-4000 new schools being built for 5-12 year olds between 1870 and 1880.
      • The new schools were not free!
      • The Bank Holiday Act in 1871 gave everyone holidays from work by law.
      • The Trade Union Act protected the rights of workers to form a trade union.
    • The Secret Ballot Act 1872
      • Voting was now to be done in secret to deal with issues of bribery, intimidation and corruption.
      • The act did not bring an end to the bribery but it made a significant difference.
      • Polling booths were introduced.
    • Social Reform 1874-1875
      • A number of acts were passed that were designed to improve working and living conditions.
      • The Factory Act of 1874 reduced the number of hours people had to work and gave them Saturday afternoon off.
      • The Public Health Act of 1875 ensured that towns had clean water and removed sewage and waste.
      • The Artisans Dwelling Act encouraged local councils to build better quality houses.
      • The Sale of Food and Medicines Act ensured the quality of food and medicines.
    • Parliamentary Reform Act 1884
      • It was recognised in the 1880s that voters in counties deserved the same political rights as voters in boroughs.
      • The 1884 Parliamentary Reform Act created a uniformed system across the country.
      • The right to vote was given to most men in the countryside as well as towns
      • About 2 in 3 men could not vote, almost 18% of the population.

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