The Spread of Liberal Government Reform and Revolution in Great Britain, France, and Western Europe.

Civil Unrest in Great Britain  Postwar economic depression led to civil unrest in Britain.  Lord Liverpool, a Tory, served as prime minister of a reactionary government.  Aug, 1819 – Protesters gathered in St. Peter’s Field, Manchester were attacked by Government troops. Eleven people were killed in what became know as the Peterloo Massacre. Peterloo Massacre, 1819

Conservative Reaction  The Six Acts –Reaction to the Peterloo Massacre, passed by Parliament in Dec –Restricted freedom of speech press, and assembly, allowed for searches of homes.  Cato Street Conspiracy –January 1820, George IV (r ) succeeded to the throne. –Government uncovered a plot to kill the entire cabinet and the king. –Conspirators were arrested and executed.

Tory Reforms  Younger Tory leaders began to push for reforms in the 1820s.  Robert Peel, the home secretary, reformed criminal codes and reorganized the police (bobbies)  Free trade policies put in place by reducing tariffs on imports.  Religious restrictions removed. –Test Act Repealed in 1828 –Catholic Emancipation passed in Robert Peel

Reform Bill of 1832  Whigs won the election of 1830, replacing the Tory government of the Duke of Wellington.  PM Earl Grey introduced electoral reform.  It was blocked two times by the House of Lords.  Passed with threat of adding Whig peers to the House of Lords by king William IV (r – 1837).

Reform Bill of 1832  Eliminated 56 “rotten boroughs” and “pocket boroughs” and redistributed their 111 seats, 32 smaller ones lost one of two seats in the House of Commons.  The bill lowered property qualifications to include most middle class men, expanding the electorate by 800,000 men. Earl Grey

Reforms Expand  In 1833, slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.  Factory Act of 1833 placed restrictions of child labor. –Those under age 9 could not work in mills. –9 to 13 work 9 hours, 13 to 18 could work 12 hrs  Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 created town councils.

Repeal of the Corn Laws  Anti-Corn Law League (est. 1839) campaigned for repeal of Corn Laws (tariffs on grains)  Adopted in 1815, the laws provided protection for landowners by inflating prices.  Middle class reformers argued that elimination of tariffs would lower grain prices, helping the workers and industrialists.  Under pressure of the Peelites (splitting the Tories) and the effects of the Irish Famine, the Corn Laws were repealed in 1846.

The Chartist Movement  Agitation continued for further reform and the creation of the People’s Charter in 1838 by a group of working class leaders.  Demands centered on: 1.Universal Manhood Suffrage 2.Secret Ballot in Voting 3.End of Property requirements to office 4.Salaries for MPs. 5.Creation of Equal Electoral Districts 6.Annual Elections for the House of Commons.  Presented demands to Parliament in They were ignored. Agitation continued through 1848.

France – The Bourbon Restoration  Under Louis XVIII (r ) the Charter of 1814 created a constitutional monarchy. –Two house parliament created (on British model) –Guarantees of civil liberties –Napoleonic Code remained in effect  Ultra-Royalists, under the leadership of the king’s brother, the Count of Artois, won elections in 1820 and reduced civil liberties.

France – The Bourbon Restoration  In 1824, the Count of Artois succeeded his brother as King Charles X.  He angered the bourgeoisie by lowering the interest on government bonds to compensate the nobility for the lands they had lost.  Liberals and moderate royalists gained control in elections in  In response, Charles X made the reactionary Prince of Polignac premier Charles X

Revolutions of France  The July Revolution –Liberals won elections in May –In response, Charles and Polignac enacted the Four Ordinances which imposed limitations on freedom of the press, dissolved the Parliament and scheduled new elections. –On July 27-29, the people of Paris rose in revolt against the king. –Charles X fled to Great Britain.

Revolutions of France  The July Monarchy –Some revolutionaries favored creating a republic, but liberals in the Chamber of Deputies supported a constitutional monarchy. –They proclaimed Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, as king –King Louis Philippe (r ) cultivated a bourgeois image as “citizen king.” –His economic and political policies favored the interests of the middle class. King Louis Philippe

Revolutions of Europe  Belgium –Catholics and liberals take opportunity to gain independence from Dutch. –Constitutional monarchy created.  Switzerland –Swiss cantons more toward more liberal representative governments.  Spain –Conflicts between the Carlists and the monarchy led to expansion of liberal ideas, though reform was difficult to maintain