Dbq Reform Bill 1832 Essay

Previous to the year 1832, the English people had seen their House of Commons continuously pass bills and tariffs in which either hindered their civil rights or solely benefited the wealthier class. In the year 1815, the corn laws were passed, placing a huge tax over grains. Nobles benefited greatly because they owned lad that grew the grain. These laws created riots amongst the lower classed englishmen. Another law passed prior to the efforts of reform in 1832 was the six acts bill, in which suspended a person’s right to assemble and suspended hiatus corpus. These previously occurring events had a very significant effect of the public opinion of the government and led to a major push for change. The 1832 proposal for reform had a significantly

At the time, parliament was made up of two major parties, the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs that occupied parliament such as, Viscount Althorp, were strongly against increasing royal authority and felt that reform was in dire need. Althorp addresses in particular the notion that if the government continues down its path without reform despotism will return(Doc 3). Another influential whig who was very vocal as well in the proposal of the reform bill was Viscount MIlton. As mentioned earlier, the corn laws were infamous for causing problems in the lower classes in English society. Milton addressed in his argument that the corn laws were solely passed for the benefit of the parliament, with no considerations of the citizens the laws negatively effected. In this, he establishes that there is a need for change in parliament where those who didn’t have a voice previous to the atrocities that being the corn laws, would have a voice with the passage of the reform bills (doc 2). Additionally, people, along with the Whigs, believed and argued that the reform bill of 1832 was the major stepping stone into a better English future for generations to come. This could be displayed in the political cartoon produced by J.L Marks, who stood along with the supporters of the reform bill. John Bill, the English equivalent of the United States’ Uncle Sam, is drawn looking forward into the land of promise where there is no corn laws, no window taxes, and there is unions. Overall, this drawing illustrates how increased representation can lead to great things(Doc