1
Q
Who became Prime Minister in Britain in 1783 and dominated politics until 1801?
A
William Pitt the Younger
Pitt became PM aged 24 and led government through financial reform and the early years of war with France.
2
Q
What was the name of the two main political groupings in late eighteenth-century British politics?
A
Whigs and Tories
These were loose factions rather than modern political parties with rigid structures.
3
Q
Which monarch worked closely with Pitt the Younger and supported his government?
A
George III
The king played an active political role and supported Pitt against Whig opposition.
4
Q
What was significant about the general election of 1784?
A
- Strengthened Pitt’s authority
- Whig opposition weakened
- Crown influence reinforced
Pitt won strong parliamentary support after appealing directly to the electorate.
5
Q
What major change in Britain’s economy began accelerating during the late eighteenth century?
A
Industrialisation
Mechanised production, factory growth and technological innovation transformed industry.
6
Q
Which textile industry expanded most rapidly during early industrialisation?
A
Cotton industry
Cotton manufacturing grew rapidly due to mechanisation and increased demand.
7
Q
What new power source became increasingly important during the Industrial Revolution?
A
Steam power
Steam engines allowed factories to operate independently of water sources.
8
Q
Which sector remained economically dominant in Britain despite industrial growth?
A
Agriculture
Most people still worked in agriculture during the late eighteenth century.
9
Q
Which social group expanded significantly due to industrialisation and trade?
A
Middle class
Industrialists, merchants and professionals gained increasing economic influence.
10
Q
What term describes factory and industrial workers created by industrialisation?
A
Industrial workforce
These workers often faced long hours, low pay and unsafe conditions.
11
Q
Which social group remained politically dominant in Britain during this period?
A
Landowners
The landed aristocracy controlled Parliament and most political influence.
12
Q
Fill in the blank:
Laws passed in 1799–1800 banning trade unions were known as the _______ Acts.
A
Combination
These laws made worker combinations and strikes illegal.
13
Q
What was the general purpose of the Combination Acts?
A
Prevent worker organisation
The government feared collective action and possible revolution.
14
Q
Which foreign revolution beginning in 1789 alarmed the British government?
A
French Revolution
It spread radical political ideas and fears of unrest in Britain.
15
Q
True or False:
The British government generally welcomed the ideas of the French Revolution.
A
False
The government feared revolution and responded with repression.
16
Q
What was the name of the Irish uprising in 1798?
A
Irish Rebellion
Led by the United Irishmen, it aimed to end British rule in Ireland.
17
Q
What was the cause of the Irish Rebellion in 1798?
A
The United Irishmen sought parliamentary reform, Catholic emancipation, and an end to British domination.
18
Q
Rank the three consequences of the Irish Rebellion by importance.
A
- Irish Parliament abolished — Led directly to the Act of Union (1800)
- Stronger British control — Britain tightened political and military authority
- Lasting sectarian tension — Catholic–Protestant mistrust deepened
19
Q
What political measure united Britain and Ireland in 1801?
A
Act of Union
Ireland was incorporated into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
20
Q
What term describes political activists demanding parliamentary reform and wider rights?
A
Radicalism
Radical groups campaigned for democratic reforms and civil liberties.
21
Q
What major international conflict dominated British politics after 1793?
A
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Britain fought France for over two decades.
22
Q
By 1812, what two main pressures had strained Britain domestically?
A
- War
- Economic hardship
War costs and trade disruption worsened living conditions.
23
Q
Who became Prime Minister after the assassination of Spencer Perceval in 1812?
A
Lord Liverpool
Liverpool led a long-lasting Tory government until 1827.
24
Q
What law introduced in 1815 protected British grain producers by restricting imports?
A
Corn Laws
These tariffs kept grain prices high to protect landowners.
25
# True or False:
The **Corn Laws** generally benefited **urban industrial workers**.
False
## Footnote
High grain prices raised food costs and harmed workers.
26
Which early nineteenth-century **protest movement** destroyed **machinery in textile industries**?
Luddism
## Footnote
Workers feared machines would take their jobs.
27
What **year** saw the repeal of the **Combination Acts**?
1824
## Footnote
Workers could legally form trade unions, though restrictions returned in 1825.
28
Which **Prime Minister** served briefly after **Lord Liverpool** resigned in 1827?
George Canning
## Footnote
Canning represented a more liberal Tory faction.
29
Which **Prime Minister** succeeded **Canning** later in 1827?
Lord Goderich
## Footnote
His government was short-lived and politically weak.
30
Which **conservative leader** became **Prime Minister** in 1828?
Duke of Wellington
## Footnote
Wellington initially resisted reform but eventually passed Catholic Emancipation.
31
Which **laws repealed in 1828** removed restrictions on **Protestant dissenters**?
Test and Corporation Acts
## Footnote
Their repeal allowed non-Anglicans to hold public office.
32
What **police force** established in **1829** improved law enforcement in London?
Metropolitan Police
## Footnote
Founded by Home Secretary Robert Peel.
33
Which **Irish political leader** campaigned successfully for **Catholic rights**?
Daniel O’Connell
## Footnote
He organised mass political pressure for emancipation.
34
# Fill in the blank:
The 1829 law granting **civil rights to Catholics** is called _\_\_\_\_\_\_ Emancipation.
Catholic
## Footnote
It allowed Catholics to sit in Parliament.
35
# True or False:
**Catholic Emancipation** allowed Catholics to become **MPs**.
True
## Footnote
It removed many political restrictions on Catholics.
36
Which **industry** continued expanding rapidly during the **early nineteenth century**?
Textile industry
## Footnote
Cotton manufacturing remained a key industrial sector.
37
What **agricultural change** increased **food production** in this period?
Agricultural improvement
## Footnote
New techniques and enclosure increased efficiency.
38
Which **economic policy** favouring **reduced trade barriers** gained influence?
Free trade
## Footnote
Advocates argued tariffs harmed economic growth.
39
What **social problem** increased in many **industrial towns** during rapid industrialisation?
Urban poverty
## Footnote
Overcrowding and poor sanitation worsened living conditions.
40
Which **social group** experienced the **worst working conditions** in factories?
Working class
## Footnote
Long hours and dangerous workplaces were common.
41
# True or False:
**Industrialisation** immediately improved **living standards** for most workers.
False
## Footnote
Early industrialisation often worsened conditions for many labourers.
42
Which **protest movement of skilled workers** opposed **new machinery**?
Luddism
## Footnote
Machine-breaking protests occurred between 1811 and 1816.
43
Which major **humanitarian campaign** sought to end **slavery across the British Empire**?
Anti-slavery movement
## Footnote
Abolitionists campaigned through petitions and political pressure.
44
What law **ended slavery** in the British Empire?
Slavery Abolition Act of 1833
45
Which **religious movement** grew among the **working classes** and promoted moral reform?
Methodism
## Footnote
Methodism encouraged discipline, sobriety and community support.
46
Which **early socialist thinker** promoted **cooperative communities** and worker welfare?
Robert Owen
## Footnote
Owen experimented with model communities such as New Lanark.
47
What term describes **Owen’s ideas** promoting **cooperation over competition**?
Early socialism
## Footnote
These ideas influenced later socialist movements.
48
# True or False:
**Robert Owen** supported **unrestricted industrial capitalism**.
False
## Footnote
He criticised harsh industrial practices and proposed cooperative alternatives.
49
Which **political party** won the **election that began reform momentum** in 1830?
Whigs
## Footnote
Reform-minded Whigs replaced Wellington’s Tory government.
50
What major **issue** dominated **British politics** between 1830 and 1832?
Parliamentary reform
## Footnote
Growing pressure demanded changes to representation.
51
# Fill in the blank:
The reform law passed in 1832 is known as the _\_\_\_\_\_\_ Reform Act.
Great
## Footnote
It significantly changed parliamentary representation.
52
What was one major aim of the **Great Reform Act**?
Reduce rotten boroughs
## Footnote
Many small constituencies lost representation.
53
Name three consequences of **the Great Reform Act 1832**.
* Rotten boroughs removed — seats shifted to big industrial towns
* More voters (middle class) — franchise expanded by ~50%
* Aristocratic power reduced — urban middle class gained influence
54
Which new **social group** gained greater **political influence** after the 1832 Reform Act?
Middle class
## Footnote
Industrial and commercial elites gained representation.
55
# True or False:
The **Great Reform Act** introduced **universal male suffrage**.
False
## Footnote
Voting rights were expanded but still limited to property holders.
56
By 1832, what major **economic transformation** had **Britain undergone**?
Industrial economy
## Footnote
Industry and manufacturing played an increasingly central role.
57
What key **political change** had occurred by 1832 regarding **parliamentary representation**?
Partial democratisation
## Footnote
Representation expanded though the system remained limited.
58
What major **social feature** characterised Britain by 1832 after decades of **industrialisation**?
Large industrial working class
## Footnote
Urban industrial workers formed a major part of society.
59
Which **Whig Prime Minister** oversaw the passage of the **1832 Reform Act**?
Earl Grey
## Footnote
Grey led the reforming Whig government from 1830 to 1834.
60
Which **Prime Minister** led the **Whig government** after Earl Grey resigned in 1834?
Lord Melbourne
## Footnote
Melbourne served as Prime Minister twice during the 1830s and 1840s.
61
Which **political ideology** guided the **Whig Party** during the early reform era?
Liberal reformism
## Footnote
Whigs generally supported moderate political reform and limited social change.
62
Which **political group** reorganised under **Robert Peel** during the 1830s and 1840s?
Conservative Party
## Footnote
Peel modernised the former Tory party and broadened its appeal.
63
What **document issued by Robert Peel** in 1834 outlined **Conservative principles**?
Tamworth Manifesto
## Footnote
It accepted moderate reform while defending traditional institutions.
64
Which **law of 1833** restricted **child labour in textile factories**?
Factory Act
## Footnote
It limited working hours for children and introduced factory inspectors.
65
# Fill in the blank:
The 1833 law ending slavery in most of the **British Empire** is called the _\_\_\_\_\_\_ Abolition Act.
Slavery
## Footnote
It emancipated enslaved people in British colonies with compensation to owners.
66
What major **welfare reform** was introduced by the **Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834**?
Workhouse system
## Footnote
Relief for the poor was restricted to workhouses to discourage dependency.
67
# True or False:
The **Poor Law Amendment Act** aimed to make **poor relief** more generous.
False
## Footnote
Conditions in workhouses were deliberately harsh to deter applicants.
68
Which **1835 reform** reorganised **local government in towns**?
Municipal Corporations Act
## Footnote
It replaced corrupt borough corporations with elected councils.
69
Which **working-class movement** demanded **universal male suffrage and political reform**?
Chartism
## Footnote
Chartists organised petitions and mass demonstrations during the 1830s and 1840s.
70
# Fill in the blank:
The **Chartist programme** of political reforms was known as the _\_\_\_\_\_\_ Charter.
People’s
## Footnote
It listed six demands including secret ballots and universal male suffrage.
71
Which **country** experienced strong **radical political agitation** during the 1830s and 1840s?
Ireland
## Footnote
Nationalist movements and opposition to British rule grew.
72
Which **organisation** opposed the **Poor Law** and criticised the workhouse system?
Anti-Poor Law League
## Footnote
Critics argued the Poor Law punished the poor unfairly.
73
Which **campaign group** fought for the abolition of **tariffs on imported grain**?
Anti-Corn Law League
## Footnote
Led by middle-class industrialists advocating free trade.
74
Which **social reformer** campaigned for **factory reform and better conditions for workers**?
Lord Shaftesbury
## Footnote
He supported factory legislation and protection for children.
75
Which **government official** promoted **sanitary reform and public health improvements**?
Edwin Chadwick
## Footnote
His 1842 report exposed poor urban sanitation.
76
# True or False:
**Edwin Chadwick** believed disease was linked to **poor sanitation**.
True
## Footnote
His ideas influenced later public health reforms.
77
Which **Conservative Prime Minister** reformed **finance and administration** in the 1840s?
Robert Peel
## Footnote
Peel modernised government finance and economic policy.
78
What **financial law of 1844** regulated the **issue of banknotes in Britain**?
Bank Charter Act
## Footnote
It gave the Bank of England control over note issuance.
79
What major **technological development** expanded rapidly in Britain during the **1840s**?
Railway network
## Footnote
Railways transformed transport, trade and economic growth.
80
Which **agricultural policy** was repealed by **Peel in 1846**?
Corn Laws
## Footnote
Their repeal signalled a major shift toward free trade.
81
# True or False:
The **repeal of the Corn Laws** caused a major split in the **Conservative Party**.
True
## Footnote
Many protectionist Conservatives broke with Peel.
82
Which **political party** gradually emerged from **Whig and reformist alliances** after 1850?
Liberal Party
## Footnote
It combined Whigs, radicals and Peelites.
83
Which **political leader** became the dominant **Liberal statesman** in the mid-Victorian period?
William Gladstone
## Footnote
Gladstone served several terms as Prime Minister.
84
Which **Conservative leader** was **Gladstone’s main political rival**?
Benjamin Disraeli
## Footnote
The two dominated Victorian politics.
85
What was a key **principle of Gladstone’s political philosophy**?
Moral liberalism
## Footnote
He supported economy in government and political reform.
86
Which **political ideology** emphasised **empire, national unity and social reform**?
Conservative democracy
## Footnote
Associated with Disraeli’s approach to politics.
87
Which **Reform Act** passed under **Disraeli** expanded the **urban electorate** in 1867?
Second Reform Act
## Footnote
It gave voting rights to many urban working-class men.
88
# Fill in the blank:
The 1872 law introducing **secret voting in elections** is called the _\_\_\_\_\_\_ Act.
Ballot
## Footnote
It reduced bribery and intimidation.
89
Which **1884 reform** greatly extended **voting rights in rural areas**?
Third Reform Act
## Footnote
It brought many rural labourers into the electorate.
90
# True or False:
By 1885 Britain had achieved **full universal male suffrage**.
False
## Footnote
Voting rights were expanded but still limited by property qualifications.
91
Which **political issue** continued to generate pressure for reform throughout the century?
Parliamentary representation
## Footnote
Many demanded fairer electoral districts and wider suffrage.
92
Which **movement** continued campaigning for **political rights for workers** after 1848?
Trade unionism
## Footnote
Workers increasingly organised to defend wages and conditions.
93
Which **nationalist movement** sought greater **autonomy for Ireland**?
Irish Nationalism
## Footnote
It became a major issue in British politics later in the century.
94
Which **public reform movement** sought improvements in **sanitation and urban health**?
Public Health reform
## Footnote
Campaigners argued that government should address disease and living conditions.
95
What term describes the period of **strong economic growth** in **mid-Victorian Britain**?
Mid-Victorian boom
## Footnote
Industrial expansion and trade increased prosperity.
96
What phrase describes the prosperous period of **British farming** in the **mid-nineteenth century**?
Golden age of agriculture
## Footnote
Farming benefited from high demand and improved techniques.
97
Which **transport developments** helped expand **national markets and trade**?
Railways and steamships
## Footnote
These innovations improved movement of goods and people.
98
What **global economic downturn** began affecting Britain in the **1870s**?
Great Depression
## Footnote
Agricultural prices and profits declined significantly.
99
# True or False:
The **Great Depression** of the late nineteenth century affected **agriculture more than industry**.
True
## Footnote
Falling grain prices hurt British farmers especially badly.
100
Which term describes the **coexistence of wealth and poverty** in **Victorian towns**?
Social inequality
## Footnote
Industrial growth did not eliminate poverty.
101
What **social divide** existed between **industrial regions and rural areas**?
Regional divisions
## Footnote
Economic conditions varied widely across Britain.
102
Which **religious influence** encouraged **moral discipline and social reform**?
Evangelicalism
## Footnote
It inspired campaigns for moral improvement and philanthropy.
103
Which **Victorian ideology** promoted **individual responsibility and hard work**?
Self-help
## Footnote
Popularised by writers such as Samuel Smiles.
104
# True or False:
Victorian **‘self-help’ ideology** emphasised reliance on **government welfare**.
False
## Footnote
It stressed personal effort rather than state support.
105
Which **working-class organisations** gained strength during the **later nineteenth century**?
Trade unions
## Footnote
Legalisation and organisation increased their influence.
106
Which **reform** expanded access to **schooling for children in England and Wales in 1870**?
Education Act
## Footnote
It created locally elected school boards.
107
By 1885, what **political trend** had significantly expanded since 1832?
Electoral democracy
## Footnote
Many more men could vote after successive reform acts.
108
What remained a key **feature of Britain’s economy** by 1885?
Industrial leadership
## Footnote
Britain remained a major industrial power though competition grew.
109
What characterised the **social structure of Britain** by 1885?
Class divisions
## Footnote
Industrial society produced clear divisions between classes.
110
Which **political system** had developed by the **late nineteenth century**?
Two-party system
## Footnote
Politics was dominated by Liberals and Conservatives.
111
# Fill in the blank:
By 1885 Britain was widely considered the world’s leading _\_\_\_\_\_\_ power.
Industrial
## Footnote
Industrial production and global trade were central to Britain’s influence.
A-Level History (Edexcel)
flashcards
Decks in class (30)
# Cards
-
The Crusades and the Near East102
-
Spain: Monarchy and Empire94
-
Tudor England: Authority and Religion92
-
Stuart Britain: Conflict and Revolution74
-
Russia: Absolutism and Reform73
-
Industrial Britain: Change and Reform111
-
Modern Britain: Transformation and Society113
-
Russia: Revolution and the Soviet State119
-
The British Empire: Expansion and Decline108
-
The USA: Emergence of a Superpower116
-
Germany: Unification to Reunification110
-
Medieval England: Authority and Conflict136
-
Late Medieval England: Dynastic Conflict118
-
The European Reformation153
-
The English Reformation318
-
The English Civil War147
-
France under Louis XIV145
-
The American Revolution and Early USA129
-
The French Revolution and Napoleon161
-
The American Civil War and Reconstruction137
-
International Relations and the Origins of War100
-
Fascist Italy140
-
Britain: War and Welfare157
-
Russia: Revolution and Stalinism183
-
Germany: Democracy and Nazism153
-
China: Revolution and Reform150
-
The USA: Society and Change135
-
The Cold War147
-
Modern Britain since 1950150
-
The Collapse of Communism156
