After 3 attempts the act was finally passed on the 7th June 1832
It made two key changes- it extended the number of people who were allowed to vote (the franchise) and it redistributed seats
English counties: Vote given to males who rented land/property worth £10 and leaseholders of land worth £50 a year
English boroughs: one new qualification-all male householders occupying property worth £10 a year
Some boroughs gained two MPs, others gained one
Some boroughs lost their MPs or were only able to return (send) one member to parliment
56 rotten boroughs abolished
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PROBLEMS WITH THE OLD SYSTEM
English countries 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 landowner was so powerful that nobody would stand against him
Election campaigns were influenced by bribery- voters sold their vote!
Voting was not secret- voters had to stand up and announce their decision in public
All MPs were from the upper class
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THE PRESSURE FOR REFORM INTENSIFIED
There were several riots and protest throughout England, eg Bristol in 1831
Newspapers started to promote the need for reform
Political unions were set up all over England demanding political reform
The fear of revolution in Britian became to much for the upper classes
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EFFECTS
Before 1832 about one in ten could vote, after it was about one in five
New voters were the middle class
Majority of the working class did not have the vote
Gave a greater to the industrial north held off the threat of revolution
Over 70% of MPs still represented the landed intrest
This resource concisely reviews a big subject, handily divided into problems, pressures and effects. This would be a good resource to get others to test you from.
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