Preview

history higher

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1529 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
history higher
Why were there so many reforms (why and when it happened and what these reforms were) introduced in the 19th century.

The 19th century was a time of liberal reforms for Britain. During this era the principle of the country was laissez faire which meant the government left the people to be responsible for their own welfare. The government did not accept any responsibility for the poor. They viewed these people as irresponsible, drunks and no self-respect. There was no unemployment or family benefits which meant poverty was increasing while mortality was decreasing. For the fear Britain was in decline the government had to step in and improve the quality of life for the poor, working class citizens and their silent women. This essay will discuss why there was so many reforms introduced in the 19th century. The reforms this essay will discuss is the 1832 reform act, the 1867 reform actand the 1872 secret ballot act . It will go in-depth to why and when these reforms happened and what these reforms were.
Continuing on, because of the French revolution British government was in fear in case Britain had a revolution of its own but, in the 1700’s the British industrial revolution started the profound impact on the social, economic and political impact on Britain which would allow the country to grow into a powerful nation. Before the revolution most citizens of the country stayed in small rural areas in the country living off their farming industry, which was difficult for people to make good money from. This era was rife for disease and malnourishment. The textile industry was reform dramatically during the revolution, before the industrial revolution textiles were made in the workers home; this meant that the courier would give the home workers the equipment and pick it up after the product was finished. However during the revolution because of the increase in machinery fewer humans were needed for the work as the machines were able to carry out the job needed

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    By the early twentieth century the Liberal Government was worried that Britain’s military capability and general military power was not as strong and it once was. Therefore, the Government’s concern over national security definitely influenced the decision for the reforms. However, there are three main factors that also need to be taken into account when deciding if concern over national security was the real reason for the reforms: the Social reasons, concerns for Britain’s Empire and the Political motive. The Social reasons played a large part in persuading the Liberals to reform. The detailed reports of Booth and Rowntree, and the evidence which was brought to light, highlighted that nearly a 1/3 of Britain’s population lived in poverty. This needed to be addressed by the Government. In addition, criticisms of the Poor Law effectively put pressure on the Liberals. The Boer War shone light on the ineffective and malnourished British Army. Britain’s embarrassing performance and recruitment in the War raised concerns over Britain’s overall military capability and the general health of Britain’s populace. In addition to this, the Liberal Government was concerned that Britain was losing its status as a major industrial power. Political motives for reform include the changing attitudes within the party, New Liberalism, the fear of the ever increasing popularity of the Labour Party and the party advantage which the Liberals would have received from introducing reform.…

    • 1468 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Tory government from 1819 to 1829 introduced a lot of social and economic reforms, which had both positive and negative effects and varied in success. The cabinet shuffle in 1822 gave the Tories a ‘liberal’ reputation as many of the successful reforms came after this; however it can be questioned whether or not they were as liberal as they seemed as a lot of their reforms had already been in production beforehand and were not actually thought of by the ‘liberal’ Tory government.…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Between 1906 and 1914 the liberal democrats where in power, at this time it was becoming apparent that poverty was a big problem in Britain and reports from two men, Charles Booth and Seebolm Rowntree who had interests in social reform and the poorest off people of Britain, showed that many people in Britain where living below the poverty line. The liberals realised that in order to stay in power they had to make social changes and leave behind old laissez faire liberal ideas. Because of the level of poverty many families lived in bad housing had a poor diet and poor health. The Liberal government began a series of reforms aimed at helping the impoverished people of Britain. This essay will discuss how effective the measures taken by the liberals where in combating the problem of poverty in Britain.…

    • 1810 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beginning in the middle of the eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain. This revolution greatly increased the output of machine made goods. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain because of its many natural resources such as coal, iron, water, and lead. Great Britain had natural harbors and rivers. Great Britain was an Island in Western Europe that was separated from Europe, which meant no wars. Also, the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain because of the textile industry. Britain had an abundance of cotton, used in the making of textiles. When the cottage industry and the manufacturing of clothing at home changed to the factory system, new machines were being created. Also, several key-inventors of these machines were from Great Britain and contributed to the factory system being established. Also, efficient transportation was already set up in Britain and it was further innovated with the demand between producers and suppliers. Great Britain also had a lot of natural resources such as coal and iron. the Industrial Revolution affected every part of life in Great Britainm but proved to be a mixed blessing. Eventually, indutrialization led to be a better quality of life for most people. But the change to machine production initially caused human suffering. Rapid industrialization brought plentiful jons, the ills of child labor. It also led to rising class tensions, especially between the working class and the middle class.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There was a growing awareness of poverty in Britain, especially in London in early 1900s. According to the research of Charles Booth in London, there were 25% of people that were living under abject poverty and over 35% of people were living under the poverty line of 0.90-1.05 pounds per week for a family with 3 children. The situation was severe and that was not only happening in London, but other cities as well. According to Seebhom Rowntree’s studies, there were 28% of people that lives in York could not afford to buy clothing and food. Social reform was definitely needed. At that time, some other new liberalism were arising, they aimed to give out minimum living standard for needy families. In contrast, the conservative was not doing anything good and the Education Act that did not please the society. As a result, a party that was providing more benefit to citizens and poverty became more successful and gained more voter’s…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My next reason for the Liberals introducing the reforms is the rise of Socialism. The Liberals wanted nothing more than to stamp out Socialism, as it was a growing theme in the late 19th century. Countries such as Russia had already adopted the system and the Liberals were determined not to go down the same route. In a 1908 speech, Winston Churchill said, ‘Socialism seeks to pull down wealth; Liberalism seeks to rise up poverty’. This quote shows how the Liberals negatively talked about Socialism and positively talked about Liberalism to manipulative the public into voting the Liberals. They wanted the people to fight against socialism and not for it. They eventually realised that reforms would keep the British people happy therefore meaning less support for any revolutionary movements. I know that people turn to socialism when they are unhappy…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    • As far as the tsar’s were concerned, he had been appointed by God to lead and guide the people…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the late 1700s, The Industrial Revolution began in England, which had an immense range of negative and positive effects on the social and also economic life of the people in England. The results have been looked at form many different point of views, including the factory workers themselves, the factory owners, the government, and others who looked upon the conditions in the industrial cities at the time. This essay will evaluate the positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Between 1906 & 1914 the liberal government introduced a series of reforms to help the poorest in society. Historians still debate today the reasons for these reforms. Some argue that concern over poverty was the main factor in pushing through the reforms. However others argue there were a number of factors that contributed. Many believe that national security was a main concern after 25% of army recruits were turned away because they were unfit. National efficiency concern might also have pushed the liberals into social reforms. Some others argue it was a selfish act of political advantage to try to hold on to the working class votes. Finally some argue it was an extension of the liberal municipal socialism already taking place at a local level. Before any conclusions can be drawn it is necessary to study all the facts.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the late 1900s there was a spark with new technological advances making less but harder jobs. The new up rise created new job opportunities and made business people happy but it still had the problem or keeping the poor with bad living conditions and unhealthy jobs. Due to the need of money parents made cruel decisions towards there unwanted children. Kids were sold and forced to do harsh jobs, people lived in rage and terror, and people didn’t have a long lifespan due to the living conditions and the medical resources.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Britain wished to protect its new corner on the market, and so jealously guarded all designs, machines, and processes related to mechanized manufacture. It was only through corporate espionage that the Revolution spread across the Atlantic Ocean and throughout Europe, bringing success and power with it. At first, textile milling was the only great trade of the Revolution, but it was soon followed by steel production. As textiles were once the sign trade of the modern nations, steel manufacture soon came to be the most profitable commerce available to those with Revolution technology. Old products could be renovated, new ones invented, and formerly complex goods made simple through use of the technologies provided through the Industrial Revolution.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Liberal government introduced a series of reforms aimed at moving away from the Laissez-faire ideology and toward a more self help scheme aiming to move people away from poverty and to make Britain a better country both in health and prosperity; Churchill said “If we see a drowning man we do not drag him to the shore, instead we provide help to allow him to swim ashore”. To do this the Liberals aimed at giving aid to the young, the old, the sick, the unemployed and the workers; these groups will be discussed throughout the essay. These reforms were later regarded as the foundations for the welfare state.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    After two unsuccessful electoral campaigns in the late 19th century and early 20th century, numerous splits in the party after William Gladstone's retirement, and the growing awareness of the issue of poverty within the UK, key figures within the Liberal party realised a change in the direction of Liberalism was required. They pushed for 'New Liberalism', a more modern form of Liberalism that stressed numerous key fundamental values, one of which was that intervention by the state was key in establishing a minimum quality of life for people within the country. Thus from their electoral triumph in 1906, and especially from 1908 onwards, the Liberal government passed a series of social and welfare reforms in an attempt to raise the quality of living standards within the UK. The Liberals based these reforms on three main groups within society, the elderly, the young, and the unemployed. This essay will explore several of the reforms the Liberal government introduced including the National Insurance act, the old age pensions act, a selection of educational acts, as well as acts regarding employment issues; assessing the aims of the acts and arguing how successful they actually proved to be in reducing the issue of poverty in the UK.…

    • 1369 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the mid 1700’s there was an event that took place throughout Great Britain called the Industrial Revolution. The revolution had begun in Britain due to the development in technology and labor which also helped the economics and finances. First, the revolution caused a drastic movement in technology that resulted in new machine development. The machines took Britain further advancements; they began to have machines like that of the railroads, steamships and telegraphs. The railroads along with the steamships, telegraphs, and canals helped the industry by making the demand for transportation effective but also more demanding.…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Age Of Imperialism

    • 1296 Words
    • 6 Pages

    As an aftermath, the landowners dramatically improved farming methods by creating inventions that made farming more efficient. These innovations forced the start to an agricultural revolution. However, as inventions started to increase, it affected workers. Many workers had lost their jobs and had to move to the city to become factory workers. Urbanization occurred making the cities boom up with factories, new transportation methods, and the population shifted from rural areas to urban. This was the start of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution had made its mark on Western Europe between the late 18th and 19th century. It had started in England and it signified the shift from making goods by hand to making them by machine. England had all the right conditions for the Industrial Revolution to occur. It had a large population of workers, extensive amount of natural resources, an expanding economy, and political stability. However, abundant raw materials were needed in order to sustain an industrialized economy because raw materials like cotton could be transformed into products like textiles. This influenced the search for raw materials in other nations. Nationalism also played…

    • 1296 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays