England - Periods - Victorian 1831-1913

The Second Reformation Act

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The Second Reform Act was a significant piece of legislation passed in Victorian England in 1867. It was an extension of the First Reform Act of 1832 and aimed to further expand the right to vote and increase representation in Parliament. The Act was introduced by the Conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, and was passed with the support of some Liberal MPs.

The Act extended the right to vote to a larger segment of the male population, specifically those who owned or rented property with an annual value of at least £10. This increased the number of eligible voters from 1.5 million to 2.5 million, or about 14% of the adult male population. The Act also abolished certain property requirements that had previously restricted voting rights, such as the need for property ownership in two different constituencies.

The Second Reform Act had significant political consequences. The expansion of the electorate weakened the power of the landed aristocracy and allowed the middle class to have a greater say in politics. It also shifted political power from rural areas to urban centers, as the new voters were concentrated in towns and cities. The Act ultimately paved the way for further electoral reforms, including the Third Reform Act of 1884 which extended the franchise to agricultural laborers and other rural workers.

In addition to its political impact, the Second Reform Act also had broader social implications. It reflected a growing belief in Victorian society that democracy and participation in government were essential to social progress and stability. The Act helped to establish the idea of a more inclusive and representative democracy in England, one that would continue to evolve throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The passing of the Second Reform Act was a response to several factors. One was the increasing pressure for political reform from the working classes, who had been organizing and demonstrating for suffrage and other political rights. The Reform League, founded in 1865, was a key group in this movement, and their demonstrations and public meetings put pressure on the government to act.

Another factor was the changing economic landscape of Victorian England. The Industrial Revolution had led to a significant growth in urban populations and a corresponding decline in the power of the rural aristocracy. The urban middle class, who were becoming more politically and economically powerful, demanded greater representation in Parliament.

Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister who introduced the Second Reform Act, was a Conservative who saw reform as a way to consolidate his party's power and appeal to the growing middle class. He believed that by expanding the electorate, the Conservatives could win over the support of new voters and counter the influence of the Liberals.

The passing of the Act was not without controversy. Many Conservatives opposed the extension of the franchise, fearing that it would lead to radicalism and instability. The Liberals, meanwhile, argued that the Act did not go far enough and that it excluded too many people from the right to vote.

Despite these criticisms, the Second Reform Act was a significant step forward in British democracy. It helped to establish the idea that the right to vote was a fundamental aspect of citizenship, and paved the way for further electoral reforms in the years that followed.

the Second Reform Act had a significant impact on the system of rotten boroughs in British politics. Rotten boroughs were small constituencies with very few voters, which were often controlled by wealthy landowners or aristocrats. These constituencies were seen as corrupt and undemocratic, as they gave disproportionate power to a small group of people.

The Second Reform Act sought to address this problem by abolishing many of the rotten boroughs and redistributing their seats to larger, more populous areas. This meant that more people had a say in who represented them in Parliament, and that the power of the landed aristocracy was reduced.

The Act also introduced a system of redistricting, which aimed to create more equal-sized constituencies and reduce the influence of corrupt practices such as gerrymandering. The redistricting process was overseen by independent commissioners, who were tasked with creating boundaries that were fair and representative.

Overall, the Second Reform Act helped to transform the political landscape of Britain by increasing the power of the middle class and reducing the influence of the landed aristocracy. By abolishing many of the rotten boroughs and introducing a more democratic system of representation, the Act paved the way for further reforms and helped to establish the idea of a more inclusive and representative democracy.

The Women's Vote

there was growing discussion and activism around women's suffrage in Victorian England, but the Second Reform Act did not grant women the right to vote. At the time, women were excluded from the political process and were not considered full citizens with the right to participate in elections.

The movement for women's suffrage had been gathering momentum since the mid-19th century, and several organizations were formed to campaign for women's political rights. The National Society for Women's Suffrage was founded in 1867, the same year that the Second Reform Act was passed, and it advocated for women's suffrage and other political reforms.

However, the movement for women's suffrage faced significant opposition from many quarters, including some members of the suffrage movement itself, who disagreed on tactics and strategies for achieving their goals. Women's suffrage would not be achieved in Britain until the Representation of the People Act of 1918, which granted voting rights to some women over the age of 30 who met certain property qualifications, and the Equal Franchise Act of 1928, which gave women the right to vote on the same terms as men.

It's worth noting that the exclusion of women from the political process was not unique to Britain. Women's suffrage was a global movement, with activists in many countries campaigning for political rights and representation. The struggle for women's suffrage was a key part of the broader struggle for gender equality and social justice, and it continues to be a significant issue in many parts of the world today.

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Reference: Article by Greg Scott (Staff Historian), 2024

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