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Early reform movements: 1783-1830 - Coggle Diagram
Early reform movements: 1783-1830
Influence of American Revolution
-Reformers were influenced by ideas from the Revolution,
'No taxation without representation'
-Majority of people payed some form of tax but had no vote for an MP in parliament
America made a new constitution in
1787
- could be
compared to outdated British system
Country Associations
1780
: Christopher Wyvill founds the Yorkshire Association, concerned about the immorality of the existing voting system and he proposed annual elections to reduce levels of corruption
Associations set up in 12 other counties which alarmed
politicians as they attached independent voters
Pittered out as Landowners were alarmed by Gordon Riots
Influence of French Revolution
The monarchy in France had been forced to allow voting on the wide scale in
1789
, the year before Revolution began
French revolutionary triumphs such as Napoleon's in Italy (
1799
) alarmed the government causing them to be more repressive
Execution of Louis XVI and brutality deterred people away from Radicalism in England + how secularism had taken over, this particular may have inspired Church and King mobs in their causes
Early Radical movements
The London Corresponding society formed by Thomas Hardy, 3000 strong by
1795
Radical ideas spread through newsapaers eg. The poltical register
Many people where influenced by Thomas Paine's the rights of man (
1791
)
Society of the friends of the people: established by younger, more radical Whigs in order to obtain reform in
April 1792
Conflicting ideas
Many people wanted change but there was conflicting ideas on how Parliament should be reformed
Thomas paine advocated for reform on the same level as France
Working class focused more on economic and social reforms rather than parilamentry
Moralists: Joseph Priestly, Richard Price objected to corruption and wanted a reformed system
Why did calls for reform fail
Wide variety of interests represented in Parliament (EIC, plantation owners, landowners)
Reformers didn't have a voice in parliament
Legislation was produced differently, mostly private bills that affected local areas
Wide franchises not common across Europe as they were believed to be dangerous
Hustling prevented corruption as neighbours could see if you were voting for the good of the community