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 Act2.Explain the reasons why the Reform Act was necessary3.Analyse the ultimate effectiveness of the Great Reform Act

The political system in the early 19th Century

The Monarchy

The House of Lords

The House of Commons – about 650 MPs

The people who vote – the Electorate

Complete this tableStatement Politics

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

AnswersStatement Politics

before 1832

Politics today

Fewer than 5% of the population have a right to vote x

Voting is not secret x

MP are paid x

Each constituency sends 1 MP to Parliament x

General elections are held every 7 years x

Some constituencies send more than 1 MP to Parliament x

You had to be over 21 to vote x

The House of Lords is more important than the House of Commons

x

No women and most men do not have a vote x

Parliament is controlled by the rich land owners and nobles x

Anybody who can afford to may stand for election as an MP x

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 Act2.Explained the reasons why the Reform Act was necessary3.Analysed the ultimate effectiveness of the Great Reform Act