Britain became more democratic between 1851 and 1928 due to the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation PDF

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Britain became more democratic between 1851 and 1928 due to the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation. How valid is this view? Before 1928 Britain was a world superpower in terms of its wealth and power, however the country lacked many democratic developments. Up until 1928 very few people were allowed the vote, such as single women, women under the age of 30, men who did not own land and those who were paying small prices of rent. However, between 1851 and 1928, changes had been made to the law which slowly allowed these groups the right to vote and many historians have pointed out a variety of factors which had brought about these changes. These factors include industrialisation, pressure groups and political advantage, however the most important factor which brought Britain to the furthest amount of democracy it had experienced was World War One. Throughout the years of 1851 to 1928, Britain had experienced Industrial Revolution, with a rise of new ideas, inventions and manufacturing techniques which improved the production of goods and led to the growth of industry across the country. The fast development of industry had meant that transport networks were built for the transport of goods and Britain saw an influx of workers moving from the countryside to towns and cities to look for work. This was called urbanisation and had significant impact on the political state of Britain. By 1911, over 80% of people in Britain lived in cities and they had become very crowded very quickly. The process of industrialisation had created a new working class demand for votes as they believed that they were deserving of more political rights for their contribution to British society- this was known as ‘class consciousness’. Britain also saw an increase in literacy rates all across the nation and with the new improved transport lines, political news was being spread, leading to a new national political identity, with the population becoming more concerned about the politics within British government. However, the factor of industrialisation was not a crucial factor in bringing Britain closer to a democracy as the period of industrialisation had slowed down after the 1850s and it did not prompt any real change but made people more aware of their value within Britain and sparked the idea for further democratic rights. However,  many historians, such as D.G. Wright, argue that the parliamentary reforms in Britain were a reflection of changes in the social and economic structure of the country, which shows that the creation of a working class by industrialisation was important as it led to a push for political reforms. Overall, industrialisation was only partly important in making Britain democratic as, although it did bring an awareness of the political rights people should have had, it did not actually bring any physical change to the electorate. Another factor that had importance in bringing Britain to a democracy were pressure groups. Various pressure groups such as the Chartists, Reform League, Suffragettes and the Suffragists were active in the 1800s and early 1900s, hoping to pressurise the government into making democratic changes. Many of these groups were successful in bringing closer to democracy as they used peaceful demonstrations and petitions to grab the attention of politicians and some were even insider groups, using their close links to MPs to get their message across. In  1867, it was argued that the Hyde Park riots, which were a result of a protest held in Hyde Park by reform groups, were the reason for the passing of the Second Reform Act, which showed that pressure groups did have impact on the political development in Britain. However, many pressure groups used violent methods to influence

Parliament. These groups included the Chartists and the Suffragettes. These groups were ineffective as their violent methods usually meant that they went unheard as politicians did not want to be seen giving into terrorism. The Suffragettes suffered a heavier defeat as women were delayed being given the vote because of their violent actions and politicians like Henry Asquith had stated that women were undeserving of the vote as the Suffragette group were doing more harm than good. Overall, pressure groups were partly important in making Britain more democratic as, although they could be responsible for the passing of many reform acts, many pressure groups had turned violent and this meant that politicians were less likely to listen to them, which meant they had a lesser impact on democracy. Another factor that had importance in bringing Britain closer to democracy was political advantage. In the 19th century the Conservatives and Liberals competed with each other to win the votes of the electorate. After the Conservatives had come into power after the resignation of their Liberal predecessor, they decided to keep the idea of electoral reform to ensure they were still popular among voters. This shows that political advantage was a significant issue, which pushed politicians to make Britain more democratic. The Conservatives believed that if they gave the vote to working class men in towns, then they would most likely vote for the Conservatives, and as a result, the Second Reform Act of 1867 was passed, granting 1.5 million men the vote. However, whether this strategy was effective is questionable as, in the general election of 1868, the Liberals had won with William Gladstone becoming Prime Minister. Historians also argue that the reason for the passing of the Second Reform Act of 1867 was the Hyde Park riots, yet, F.B. Smith and Maurice Cowling both argue that party advantage was a decisive influence in the passing of the 1867 Reform Act. Overall, political advantage was only partly important in making Britain more democratic as, although many historians argue that the passing of the 1867 Second Reform Act was due to parties wanting to win the support of working class men, even though the Conservatives had kept the reform ideas of the Liberals, they were still not able to stay in power after the next general election. The last, and possibly most important, factor that brought Britain closer to a democracy was World War One. When the war first began in 1914, women and large numbers of men still could not vote. When conscription was introduced in 1916, calls for all men to have the vote were growing louder. It was widely argued that the government could not expect men to go to war and not receive anything in return. The same was for women. Throughout the war, women were working in factories, taking up mens jobs, making ammunition and nursing injured soldiers. For this reason, many politicians had a newfound respect for the women of Britain, including Henry Asquith who previously thought that women were undeserving of the vote. When  the war had ended the 1918 Representation of the People Act was passed, giving all men over the age of 21 and married women over the age of 30 the vote. However, the war had not brought Britain to a complete democracy as, although all men were given the vote, not all women were given the vote. The same women who had contributed the most to the war effort, who were single and under 30, were the same women who were denied the vote. Overall, despite this, the war did bring Britain a long way towards democracy, more so than any other factor, and even historian Martin Pugh stated that: “the experience and response of the mass of people during the First World War were of major importance in shaping the pattern of British politics”, showing that it was widely recognised that the war had played a significant role in Britain’s development of democracy.

In conclusion, the view that the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation were the most effective in making Britain more democratic is not valid as most factors proved to be partly important, with World War One proving to be the most effective. Industrialisation and urbanisation had made people more politically aware of the rights they should have had, however, the actual issue of industrialisation was more of a cause for people wanting democracy, rather than the reason for democracy. Pressure groups had some impact within the government as they brought the public together on the issue of the vote, however, many pressure groups were violent and lost the interest of the government. Political advantage meant that politicians would pass further reforms to gain more votes and support but, it was evident that they did guarantee support as the party in power, the Conservatives, still lacked support from the working class. World War One was the most important as, although it did leave out a number of women, who had contributed most to the war effort, it was the one factor that brought Britain closer to democracy than it had ever been....