Revolution, Radicalism and Reform: England 1780–1846

by Richard Brown

• ISBN13: 9780521567886
• ISBN10: 0521567882
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-06
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The period from the late eighteenth century to the first part of the nineteenth century was characterised by change: rapid industrial change, the agricultural revolution, political, economic and social reform. Yet there was also continuity, which led to tensions between improvement and resistance, modernity and tradition, rich and poor. Revolution, Radicalism and Reform provides a foundation for the study of the political, economic and social developments of the period. Topics covered include: Pitt and Liverpool, the French wars, the age of Peel, economy and industrialisation, poverty and Chartism. Revolution, Radicalism and Reform is part of the Cambridge Perspectives in History series. The book matches the requirements of the OCR examination specifications. It is suitable for all Advanced Subsidiary (AS) students, as well as students and undergraduates needing an introduction to the period. The book also contains a document study section on the condition of England at that time.

Table of Contents

Britain in the 1780s	1	(11)
In what ways was Britain a country of economic diversity?	1	(4)
How was British society structured?	5	(3)
How did Britain's political system work?	8	(3)
How important was religion?	11	(1)
William Pitt, 1783--1801	12	(16)
What was the basis of Pitt's authority between 1783 and 1801?	13	(4)
Why did Pitt dominate politics between 1783 and 1793?	17	(4)
How successfully did Pitt face the challenges of the French Revolution between 1789 and 1801?	21	(7)
Tory dominance and decline, 1812--30	28	(20)
How and why was Lord Liverpool able to survive the radical challenges of 1812--22?	29	(13)
How liberal were the Tory governments of 1822--30?	42	(6)
The Whig reforms, 1830--41	48	(9)
In what ways did the Whigs reform parliament and urban government?	49	(8)
Redefining Toryism	57	(13)
How effective was Peel as a party political leader?	58	(4)
Why is Peel's ministry of 1841--46 considered so successful?	62	(3)
Why did Corn Law repeal lead to the collapse of Peel's government in 1846?	65	(5)
Peel and Ireland	70	(13)
Why was Catholic emancipation such a controversial issue?	71	(4)
How did Peel deal with Ireland?	75	(3)
What were the social and economic effects of the Great Famine?	78	(5)
Britain at war, 1793--1815	83	(15)
What were British interests between 1793 and 1841?	84	(3)
How and why was Britain able to win the war with France between 1793 and 1815?	87	(11)
Foreign policy, 1814--41	98	(17)
How successful was Castlereagh in securing an effective peace at Vienna, and from 1814 to 1822?	99	(6)
How effectively did Canning secure British interests between 1822 and 1830?	105	(3)
How effectively did Palmerston secure British interests between 1830 and 1841?	108	(7)
The first industrial nation	115	(15)
Why was Britain the first industrial nation?	116	(7)
What was the nature and extent of change?	123	(7)
Responding to economic change	130	(18)
Why were there so many problems in the countryside?	130	(5)
What was the popular response to economic change?	135	(13)
Children, work and education, 1833--53	148	(13)
How effective was factory reform in improving children's working conditions?	148	(8)
How were working-class children educated?	156	(5)
From Speenhamland to the new Poor Law, 1830--47	161	(13)
Why was there increasing opposition to the old Poor Law?	162	(2)
What was the thinking behind the Poor Law Royal Commission and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834?	164	(3)
How did the new Poor Law work in practice?	167	(3)
Why was there widespread opposition to the introduction of the new Poor Law?	170	(4)
Chadwick and public health, 1830--54	174	(13)
Why was the urban population vulnerable to epidemic diseases in the first half of the nineteenth century?	175	(3)
What were the major constraints on effective public health reform?	178	(2)
How was public health reformed?	180	(7)
Chartism	187	(27)
Why did Chartism develop in the late 1830s?	188	(1)
How far can Chartism be seen as a `class' movement?	188	(2)
Chartism: a chronology	190	(8)
Why did Chartism fail to achieve any of its objectives by 1850?	198	(3)
Document study: The condition of England, 1832--53	200	(1)
What problems were raised by children in this period and how effectively were they tackled?	201	(5)
Why was poverty such an issue?	206	(3)
What were the pressures leading to changes in the public health system?	209	(3)
How radical were labouring adults and to what extent and why did they fail to achieve change?	212	(2)
Further reading	214	(3)
Index	217