Protest, Agitation and Parliamentary Reform

What was a 'rotten borough'?

• A borough in a state of decay

• A borough that contained lots of people but hardly any representatives

• A borough that contained hardly any people but which sent a representative to parliament

How many men could vote in the 1780s?

• 1/2 a million

• a million

• two million

• three million

How many MPs were there in the 1780s?

• 500

• 650

• 658

• 700

In the 1780s why were some seats not contested?

• because they were in the pocket of the local leader and their might be no opponent

• because they did not contest seats in those days

• some seats were 'inherited'; they passed from father to son, e.g. Peel

What caused an appetite for reform in the 1780s?

• The American War of Independence- brought rising taxes and rising govt expenditure; MPs were critical of the King's patronage and awarding contracts to MPs or their relatives/friends

• a growing middle class desired a say in the running of the country

• no one could defend 'rotten' and 'pocket' boroughs any longer.

Why did the French Revolution quieten down calls for parliamentary reform?

• It was seen as unpatriotic to question the govt during war time

• The English hated the French- if the French did something, the English would want to do the opposite just so as 'not to be like them'

Why were many men frightened of manhood suffrage?

• They didn't believe that, even if all men had the vote, that they would even bother to vote

• They were frightened of 'mob rule'

Give two examples of 'rotten' boroughs

• New Sarum and Sutton Coldfield

• Old Sarum and Dunwich

Who were the two main parties at this time (1780s)?

• Labour and Conservatives

• Conservatives and Liberals

• Whigs and Tories

• Greens and SNP

Which party was against reform and why?

• Whigs, because they did not want to enfranchise men who they thought would vote Tory

• Tories, because they did not want change of any kind and the King was against reform