Starter : Try and remember your feudal system from your work on the Middle Ages. Complete the diagram using the words around the edge. King Peasants Barons and Bishops Knights Gives land Works for the Lord of the Manor Fights for the Nobles Helps the king rule

Was the 1832 Great Reform Act really that great? By the end of the lesson you will: 1.Demonstrate your understanding of the main points of the Great Reform Act 2.Explain the reasons why the Reform Act was necessary 3.Analyse the ultimate effectiveness of the Great Reform Act

The political system in the early 19 th Century The Monarchy The House of Lords The House of Commons – about 650 MPs The people who vote – the Electorate

Complete this table StatementPolitics before 1832 Politics today Fewer than 5% of the population have a right to vote Voting is not secret MP are paid Each constituency sends 1 MP to Parliament General elections are held every 7 years Some constituencies send more than 1 MP to Parliament You had to be over 21 to vote The House of Lords is more important than the House of Commons No women and most men do not have a vote Parliament is controlled by the rich land owners and nobles Anybody who can afford to may stand for election as an MP

Answers StatementPolitics before 1832 Politics today Fewer than 5% of the population have a right to votex Voting is not secretx MP are paidx Each constituency sends 1 MP to Parliamentx General elections are held every 7 yearsx Some constituencies send more than 1 MP to Parliamentx You had to be over 21 to votex The House of Lords is more important than the House of Commons x No women and most men do not have a votex Parliament is controlled by the rich land owners and noblesx Anybody who can afford to may stand for election as an MPx

Using the information from your table, explain how far you agree with these statements.

What did the Great Reform Act do? disenfranchised 56 boroughs in England and Wales and reduced another 31 to only one MP – i.e. Took MPS away from where they were not needed or over represented and made things fair created 67 new constituencies – to represent those in the newly emerging industrial towns broadened the franchise's property qualification in the counties, to include small landowners, tenant farmers, and shopkeepers – gave the vote to middle class men created a uniform franchise in the boroughs, giving the vote to all householders who paid a yearly rental of £10 or more and some lodgers – again, the middle classes

So who can vote after 1832? Barons and Bishops Middle Class (Knights) Working class (Peasants) How great is the Great Reform Act? Answer the question by referring to how each category might respond.

Was the 1832 Great Reform Act really that great? Now show that you have: 1.Demonstrated your understanding of the main points of the Great Reform Act 2.Explained the reasons why the Reform Act was necessary 3.Analysed the ultimate effectiveness of the Great Reform Act