There are 3 phases of this period:
- The ‘30-‘40s: after Napoleonic wars the economy is in trouble; in England there weren’t rules about industrialisation.
- The ‘50-‘70s: it was a rich period for many people; good marketing and lots of discover. Many reforms were passing for children education, workers safety,… Middle classes rose up and reached the power of aristocracy; it’s called the “Age of contradictions” or the “Age of novel/fiction”.
- The ‘80-‘90s: Germany and USA rose up and challenged UK economical predominance, the empire start to be too much big for a powerful control.
The Great Exhibition (universal exhibition) of the 1851 in London was a great occasion to show the industrial power of the U.K. In 1876 Queen Victoria was acclaimed Empress of India.
The colonial empire was so big (Australia, South Africa, Caribbean isles, Pacific isles, Bermuda, India) that English citizens start to be in doubt of this political line: cruel colonisations, money for bureaucracy and for soldiers; the empire costs were too heavy for U.K. economics.
Reforms
- The People's Charter (1838): presented by a radical group, talk about electios but failed its objective. Points: Universal suffrage over 25 years of age, salary for members of parliament, annual election, secret ballots.
- 1840s: new laws for workers: reduce daily working hours, improve safety, sanitarian protection, more rights in general.
- First reform Bill (1842): vote for all the male who had a certain annual income (not so high), reform of constituency because the population distribution changed radically in those years.
- Second reform Bill (1867): the annual income to vote is lower.
- 1872: the secret ballots become law.
Download: doc pdf
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento