1. The Victorian Age 1
From 1837 to 1901, the greatest symbol in British life was Queen Victoria. Although she exercised little real political power, she set the tone for what is now called the Victorian age.
Victoria embodied the values of duty, thrift, honesty, hard work, and respectability. She embraced a strict code of morals and manners.
Victoria supported reforms for the working class

2. Reforming Parliament 1
1820s-End of Religious restrictions on voting/holding office
The Great Reform Act of 1832:
It redistributed seats in the House of Commons.

3. Should look kind of Familiar

4. How much did the “Great” Reform Act change anything…
Still needed land to vote- had to be worth a certain amount a year In the 1832 election, the total number of people who voted in the United Kingdom was 827,748. This was regionally broken into: England: 667,958 Wales: 13,814 Scotland: 53,755 Ireland: 88,814 In the 1835 election, the total number of people who voted in the United Kingdom was 611,182. This was regionally broken into: England: 491,585 Wales: 15,329 Scotland: 44,040 Ireland: 60,228

5. The People’s Charter: “Chartists” called for the following reforms:
Great Reform Act did not help rural or urban workers
“Chartists” called for the following reforms:
Universal male suffrage
Annual Parliamentary elections
Secret ballots
Presented petitions with over a million signatures, ignored.
Adopted later anyway

6. A New Era in British Politics1
In the 1860s, the old political parties regrouped under new leadership:
The Tories- Conservative party, led by Benjamin Disraeli.
The Whigs - Liberal party, led by William Gladstone.
In the late 1800s, these two parties pushed for suffrage to be extended. By century’s end, almost-universal male suffrage had been achieved.
In 1911, a Liberal government passed measures to limit the power of the House of Lords. In time, the House of Lords would become a largely ceremonial body, while the elected House of Commons would reign supreme.

7. A Century of Reforms Corn Laws- tariffs on grain Made Bread expensive
Corn Laws- repealed in 1846
Victory for Free Trade & Laissez Fair economics

8. Improve Working Conditions
Illegal for children to work under the age of 10
Women limited to a 10 hour day
Factories become safer
Labor Unions become legal (still not allowed to strike)

9. Suffrage Women go on hunger strikes for the vote
Smashed windows
Even burned down buildings
1918- women 30 and older granted the right to vote

10. Abolition 1833- Slavery illegal in all of Britain’s colonies
Most affected
Jamaica
Africa

11. Capital Crimes Limited to; murder, piracy, treason, and arson
No more public hangings
Now people have no idea what to do for entertainment…
People could be sent to penal colonies instead

13. Ireland Calls for Home Rule
Absentee Landlords contributed to terrible poverty
Irish Nationalists campaign for home rule (self-governance)
Ireland does not become independent until 1921