Pitt, reform and the threat of revolution

• What is a rotten borough?

  An area with a low population of farmers as they have migrated to the city for employment
• What is a Pocket Borough?

  An area where the voters are threatened with the removal of their livelihoods and manipulated by landowners and employers to vote a certain way so they can control elections
• Who was the electorate in the late 1700s

  11% of adult males could vote

  Catholics, women, those under 21, and the middle class were excluded

  MPs had to own property and were not paid (rich)

  Most within boroughs could vote for local MPs

  Counties (shires) had 2 MPs regardless of size or population
• How were elections corrupt/biased in the late 1700s

  Candidates bribed voters and often attacked other competition
• How did the wealthy influence elections in the late 1700s

  • landowners controlled pocket boroughs
  • voting was announced publicly
  • rotten boroughs fixed elections for specific candidates (achieve highly whilst still young)
• How was the voting system out of date in the late 1700s

  • Not adapting to the Industrial Revolution
  • Some towns had large populations with no MPs but some rotten boroughs had MPs
  • Rich believed they were able to be representative of all and that it was dangerous to give the uneducated the vote
• What happened in the Yorkshire election in 1807

  • Supporters of candidates threatened each other
  • riot in Leeds after Mayor attacked a young Whigs supporter
  • dragoons raided homes of Whig supporters
  • candidates tried to buy votes (food, housing etc)
  • Whig election winner carried in the streets amid post-election brawling and a brick was thrown narrowly missing his head
• Why was the power of the crown declining in the late 1700s

  The King's decisions during the American Revolution (no agreement signed) and his use of influence to appoint positions of power (PM William Pitt) were detested by parliament
• Why did Parliament need reform in the late 1700s?


  • corrupt elections
  • minimal, rich, electorate
  • influence of the wealthy
  • out of date system
  • defense of the system
  • Power of the crown
• When was William Pitt's term in office

  1783 - 1801
• Radical societies in the late 1700s

  Bill of Rights Society (1769) - parliamentary reform & defence of British people's liberties - published their ideas in newspapers

  
  

  Friends of the People (1792) - equal representation, more frequent elections, constitutional reform - issued reports, introduced bills & petitions

  
  

  Unitarian Society (1791) - unite non-conformists, freedom of religion, democracy - created congregations in industrial cities
• Success of Pitt dealing with the threat of French Revolution

  • legal measures
  • use of the army
  • stability of the economy
  • use of propaganda
• Limitations of Pitt dealing with the threat of French Revolution

  • repressive measures
  • reign of terror
  • radicals forced underground
  • failure to deal with Ireland
• How did Pitt use the army to deal with threat of French Revolution

  • defended against British revolution as well as that from France
  • 1797 legislation to prevent army authorities being undermined through harsher penalties after mutinies at Spithead and Nore
  • Defense of the Realm Act (1798) to increase the list of men able to fight in an emergency
  • Strengthened defenses and kept them under control
• How did Pitt ensure economic stability when dealing with the threat of French Revolution

  • increased taxes to fund war with France
  • introduced 'sinking fund' - a reserve in case of an emergency
  • maintained adequate standard of living
  • avoided the same economic issues that caused the French Revolution
• How did Pitt's use of Propaganda help deal with the threat of the French Revolution

  • Portrayed enemies as criminal
  • made the monarchy seem appealing (pro-monarch association movement - loyalists)
  • gained support of moderate Whigs strengthening his position - fear of revolution split Whig party in 1794
  • Kept public view of war with France as a patriotic war
• What legal Measures did Pitt enforce to deal with the threat of French Revolution

  • Aliens Act (1793)
  • Suspension of Habeas Corpus (1794 & 1801)
  • Treasonable Offences Act (1795)
  • Seditious Meetings Act (1795)
  • Taxes & Regulations for Newspapers (1798)
  • LCS & United Irishmen banned (1799)
  • Combination Acts (1799 & 1800)
• What was the Aliens Act (1793)

  prevented french revolutionary agents from entering Britain
• What was meant by the suspension of habeas corpus(1794 & 1801)

  radicals could be arrested and imprisoned without trial
• What was the Treasonable Offences Act (1795)

  The definition of treason was redefined to include speaking, writing and holding the king/government in contempt
• What was the seditious meetings act (1795)

  meetings of over 50 people required a license from a local magistrate
• Taxes and regulations for Newspapers (1798)

  higher taxes and stricter regulations enforced for newspapers
• LCS & United Irishmen banned (1799)

  2 of the most prominent radical organisations made illegal
• What were the Combination Acts (1799 & 1800)

  Made trade unions illegal
• how did Pitt use oppressive measures to less successfully deal with the threat of French Revolution

  • Proved radicals right that the government wanted to remove their rights 
  • Suspended key civil liberties
  • Very few radicals were tried or convicted (minimal results)
  • Highlighted the need for reform and sparked further reform movements
• how was Pitt ruling in a 'reign of terror' when dealing with the threat of French revolution

  • Removing basic freedoms of innocent people
  • Could have dealt with the threat without such harsh laws 
  • Creation of a tyranny
• How did Pitt force radicals underground when dealing with the threat of French Revolution

  • 1796-1803 government spies found evidence of revolutionary conspiracy 
  • Inability to close corresponding societies meant radicals thrived in secrecy
• Failure to deal Ireland

  • Social, economical, cultural and religious factors for unrest (french military involvement)
  • Attempted revolution (1798)
  • ‘United Kingdom’ 1801, promises to Ireland never fulfilled 
  • Pitt supported catholic emancipation but failed to convince the king
• When was the Aliens act

  1793
• When was the suspension of Habeas Corpus (Pitt)

  1794 & 1801
• When was the Treasonable offences act

  1795
• When was the Seditious meetings act

  1795
• When was the Taxes and regulations for Newspapers introduced

  1798
• When were the LCS and United Irishmen banned

  1799
• When were the combination acts (Pitt)

  1799 and 1800
• Who were the Whigs

  • No particular policy
  • Reduction in crown power
  • Non-conformist and catholic sympathy
• Who were the Tories

  • conservatives
  • wanted power of the Crown and Anglican Church
  • opposed parliamentary reform
• What is Utilitarianism

  • the greatest good for the greatest number of people
  • laissez-faire attitude
• Reactions to the French Revolution

  • The upper class felt intimidated by the threat of the spread of revolutionary ideas
  • Working Class felt inspired to act on their exploitation