Chapter 23 / Section I: Pages 532-539 Changes in

Chapter 23 / Section I: Pages 532-539 Changes in Great Britain and It’s Empire

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This section is about: How Great Britain reformed its political system and gave the vote to more people. How Ireland became part of the United Kingdom and how Canada gained some autonomy from Great Britain.

Look at pages 532 and 533 

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We’ll cover sections I and II in this chapter. Let’s read the section on the left. And, even though we won’t look at the section on Italy, look at the picture. The caption asks: what signs of nationalism does the picture show? Ernest Renan (on page 532)

Page 534: Why is Great Britain a big part of what American history classes study?  

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Political changes in Great Britain: We’ve covered some of them – the Glorious Revolution, the Magna Carta, William and Mary, Parliament, etc…. After the Industrial Revolution, England wanted to improve conditions for the workers and the poor. Many also wanted some political reforms – a greater voice in government and a demand that people be able to vote.

Demands for Reform 

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Middle-class and working class people wanted more freedom and wanted a chance to be represented in government. Many villages and towns had high food prices (poor harvests). City people faced difficult conditions (working in the factories). Many gathered peacefully in Manchester, but soldiers suddenly began to attack the crowd (killing 11 and wounding hundreds). This became known as the Peterloo Massacre. You can guess what kinds of feelings these people had after this.

10 Oddities of the British Parliament

British Parliament  

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Britain had a Parliament (2 parts - below) since the 1600’s. They were supposed to help with laws and taxes (protect the rights of the people), and keep the monarchs under control. The House of Lords: inherit their positions or are appointed. The House of Commons: elected by British people. In the 1800’s, ordinary people were often unhappy with one of these - which one? The House of Lords

The House of Commons

Representation and Voting      

Representation in England was very unevenly distributed. When towns/cities grew, the numbers didn’t always change in Parliament. This also meant people who owned land might get a little more power/ representation. And, only men who had enough property could vote. This was only 245,000 voters out of 9,000,000 people (1 in 36 people) in England in the early 1800’s. The Reform Act of 1832 helped some – now about 1-20 people could vote.

Movements for Reform 

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In 1838, one group wanted more (the Chartists), asking that all adult men could vote (in a secret ballot for yearly elections). Parliament wouldn’t listen to the Chartists (and 3 million petition signers). Finally, by 1858, you didn't need to own property to be in Parliament. By 1867, all men could vote. By 1872, they had secret ballots.

The Victorian Age 

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Queen Victoria was running England at this time (from 1837 to 1901 – the longest reign in the country’s history). She felt it was not her job to take sides, but she was good at settling disagreements in Parliament. She was very popular. Also, quiet and dignified, with a strong belief in proper behavior at all times.

61 years, 184 days (as of 9 August 2013)

The Irish Question and… Part of the United Kingdom  

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People min Ireland also lived in poverty and suffered under harsh British rule. By 1800, there was a strong hatred of the British and the question was: Should the Irish be allowed to govern themselves? There had been revolutions in America and France to run their own countries. By 1801, Ireland was made part of the U.K., (The Act of Union) and even got 100 seats in the house of Commons (no Catholics though). A lot of Irish people are Catholic, so that’s a problem. After protests, by 1829, Roman Catholics were allowed in Parliament.

The Great Potato Famine     

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Ireland was a tough place to live in the 1800’s. Had a growing population. Very little industry. Most people rented their land. Potatoes were the main food – until a famine (plant disease) in 1845: when more than 1 million Irish died of hunger or disease. Britain didn’t help them out: Irish farms that had meat and grain sent tried selling that, but no-one had money to buy them.

Years of Change     

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People suffered for years. Some looked for better lives in North America. Some looked for factories/shipping jobs in Great Britain. But some Irish who stayed began to demand home rule. They wanted their own Parliament (and would still stay part of the U.K.). Some were afraid the Roman Catholics would take that over. Ireland did get home rule eventually (1914 – after WWI).

Self-Government for Canada 

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You think of Canada being French (speaking), but Great Britain won Canada in the French and Indian War (1763). People from Great Britain then settled in/near Ontario. To keep peace, the British divided Canada. Upper Canada (Ontario): British Lower Canada (Quebec): French. Each would have their own Governor and elected legislature.

Lord Durham’s Report 

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There were rebellions in Canada in 1836. Lord Durham was sent to check it out and made two recommendations: 

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1: Unite the two parts of Canada 2: Let Canada control it’s own affairs.

In 1841, these ideas were accepted – except Britain still controlled Canadian foreign policy and trade.

The Dominion of Canada 

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People wanted to turn Canada into a “confederation” with “provinces” with their own governments – but still a central government. They began what was called a “dominion.” (1867) They would have a Parliament (two houses), and a Prime Minister in charge. This group would handle Canada’s own business. Britain would still handle Canada's foreign affairs. The British monarch would still be Canada’s “head of state.”

Expansion of the Dominion 

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Canada continued to add more provinces until they reached the Pacific Ocean (connected by railroads). Hundreds of thousands of Europeans kept moving to Canada’s new lands.