Ch. 11 Sec. 2

1
Ch. 11 Sec. 2

• Social and Economic Reform in Britain

2
Series of Reforms

• 1833 - law passed banning slavery
• 1846 - Repeal Corn Laws
• 1850s - reduce the number of crimes punishable by
  death (capital punishment), end public hangings
  in 1868
• Penal colonies created in British territories in
  Australia and New Zealand

3
Working conditions

• Parliament passed laws to
• Improve conditions in factories and mines
• Minimum wage and maximum hours
• Education act for free ed for all elementary
  children
• legalized trade unions
• Labour Party formed and became one of dominant
  parties in early 1900s

4
Womens Suffrage

• Emmaline Pankhurst - led suffragists towards a
  more drastic violent protest when peaceful
  efforts brought no results
• 1918 - Parliament finally granted the right to
  vote to women over 30

5
Irish Question

• Throughout 1800s the Irish resented British rule
• Irish peasants lived in poverty
• High rents to absentee landlords
• Irish Catholics paid tithes to Church of England
• Potato famine increased tensions
• Parnell - one of several nationalist leaders
• Pressed Parliament for home rule
• Passed in 1914 but delayed because of WW I
• finally became independent in 1921
• Gladstone - stopped the tithes and protected
  Irish tenant farmers