Essay - Political, Social, & Economic Reforms in Great Britain Through 1850...

Political, Social, & Economic Reforms in Great Brita***** Through 1850

Between 1831 and *****, Great Britain experienced numerous economical, political and social problems that threatened to literally tear the country apart. For many of those associated with the English government, especially ***** men ***** sat in the House ***** Lords and the House of Commons, it was clear that after ***** disastrous war w*****h the American Colonies that England must somehow reform its laws and statutes ***** mostly affected the middle and lower classes. Thus, many new bills ***** acts were passed that in essence served as the dynamic process for change ***** Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution, which had vastly altered ***** ***** and economic face ***** England between 1750 and 1850, brought about the need for *****, ***** it "posed a set of technical administrative problems which no... party, Whig or Tory, was capable of h*****ling" and forced the British government to seek out "a fresh interpretation of the duties ***** government" (Churchill 23-24).

In 1831, the Cabinet, a group of ministers "dependent on the favor of the House of Commons who ***** agree on a common policy and who are responsible for the actions of a*****ther and for the ***** as a whole" (Stephen 145), took under consideration the Great Reform Bill which was in part framed by Lord Durham and Lord John Russell and was pushed through ***** House of Commons by Lord Althorp. This important piece of legislation was highly criticized and in its day astounded supporters and dissenters, due to its far-reaching consequences. It *****, as some ***** Tories exclaimed, "a new constitution, in the sense that it extended ***** power to the ***** social ***** and ***** new districts w*****h***** Great Britain"

***** 146). In essence, the Great Reform Bill "abolished all the rotten boroughs at a stroke which ***** not been expected, and its announcement created a sh***** of surprise and enthusi*****m while throwing the Tories into angry opposition" (Harrison 167). The most influential working-class leaders and organizers vociferously supported the bill, due to realizing that any working-class enfranchisement would ***** be possible in the existing House.

***** fifteen months ***** the Great ***** Bill was introduced, several major crisis arose. First, a general election produced a large majority for ***** passage which resulted in much friction in the House of Commons; second, the bill ***** thrown out in the ***** of Lords which threatened ***** create chaos and rioting in the ***** population, and third, Lord Grey, who had *****med ***** initial Cabinet, resigned ***** in effect secured the actual passage ***** the Reform Act and ***** "a new constitution, comparable to a modern Magna Carta, which ***** people as a ***** ***** wrenched from the governing class" (Harrison 178). As Lawrence James points *****, the Great Reform Bill which reflected the thoughts and feelings of the ***** as England moved closer to democracy, "created a middle-cl*****s elec*****rate by extending the vote to most urban and rural working men" (184).

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