Growth of Parliamentary Democracy - Britain 1785-1870

Growth of Parliamentary Democracy - Britain 1785-1870

14 pages of detailed notes on the Growth of Parliamentary Democracy, suitable for AS / A2 History students. These notes were made for Edexcel’s Britain; Protest, Democracy and Reform module.

These can be used either as a revision tool or to further learning in lessons, and cover all of the key content needed for a top grade in an A2 exam.

These notes cover the following:

• the unreformed Parliament; the franchise, uncontested seats and demands for reform
• the impact of the French Revolution; the ideas of Paine, Burke and Wollstonecraft; the response of popular press; riots and popular gatherings; demands of the manufacturing classes
• Economic and Social Distress 1820 - 1832; the Swing Riots; the Birmingham Political Union
• Passing the 1832 Reform Act; the decline of the Tories; resignation of Liverpool and the passage of the three bills; the impact of the Bill
• Chartism; membership; moral vs physical force Chartism; the economic and political causes of Chartism; reasons for and extent of its failure
• Further Parliamentary Reform 1852 - 1870; changing political attitudes; the Reform Union and the Reform League;
• the 1867 Reform Bill; Disraeli and Gladstone; its impact