What is it about?
Explanations for the timing of Britain's Second Reform Act (1867) have almost exclusively been centred on London or, indeed, Westminster. This article explores the extent to which public opinion was mobilised in the English provinces, Scotland and Wales.
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Why is it important?
The extent of popular support, beyond London, for parliamentary reform in the mid-1860s has hitherto been underestimated. This article offers a corrective. However, it also shows that this movement failed to mobilise significant support among women or unskilled male workers. This was not accidental and reflects the highly gendered and elitist outlook of many skilled workers.
Perspectives
Much of my earlier publications have looked at the Chartist movement. It was fascinating to see through this new research how many former Chartists sustained their commitment to parliamentary reform, but also the often sharply contrasting character of the 1860s movement.
Professor Malcolm Chase
University of Leeds
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Popular Movement for Parliamentary Reform in Provincial Britain during the 1860s, Parliamentary History, February 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/1750-0206.12262.
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