The 1832 Great Reform Act
History: KS3, topic 15.1.1
The 19th Century
By the 19th century Britain was a democracy but only a small number of the population could vote for a Member of Parliament.
The Industrial Revolution
- The Industrial Revolution began in the 19th century.
- The population started growing rapidly and more people began to live in towns and work in factories.
- As a result there were growing calls for change to political representation.
1832 Great Reform Act
- In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft demanded equal political rights for all men and women.
- Before 1832, only 2.5% of the population had the right to vote for a Member of Parliament.
- To be able to vote you had to own property or pay certain taxes.
- Women could vote if you met the criteria but it was incredibly unusual.
The impact of the Great Reform Act
- The Great Reform Act was only passed in 1832 after riots broke out across the country.
- The 1832 Great Reform Act made some improvements to the electoral system in England and removed 'rotten boroughs'.
- Rotten boroughs were very small constituencies which could be used by parties to gain influence in the House of Commons easily.
Exclusions from the Great Reform Act
- The 1832 Great Reform Act did not include working class men due to the property qualifications.
- Women were also formally excluded from voting as a voter was legally defined by the act as a male.
Test yourself on The 1832 Great Reform Act
When did Mary Wollstonecraft demand equal political rights for all men and women?
What are two things people had to do to vote before 1832?