Explain and analyze three ways in which the
franchise has been extended since 1832
One of the ways the franchise has been expanded since 1832 is social class. In 1800 the
working class or even the lower middle- class could not vote due to the requirements. The
requirements were only men over twenty-one who owned property in which there were property
qualifications could vote. If they did not meet the property qualifications there would be certain
taxes to qualify to vote. However, it has been since expanded. Part of the reason the franchise
expanded social class is the Chartists who are an early example of a pressure group for major
political reform. The Chartists wanted to have Britain transformed into a full democracy and they
wanted to give the poor a voice. This proved to be difficult as Parliament feared giving the
working class the right to vote because they thought it could jeopardize their power in politics as
well as economically such as the trading empire. The government also believed that working-
class men were too poorly educated in politics to use their vote wisely. The Chartists demanded
six points but only three relevant to expanding the franchise. They wanted all men to have the
vote irrespective of wealth or property ownership, voting should take place by secret ballot and
get rid of property qualifications, which now have all been implemented. Their main tactic was
the compilation and submission to parliament of three monster petitions in 1839, 1942 and 1848
that contained up to six million signatures, though many were dubious of authenticity.
Unfortunately, the 1848 petition failed collapsing the movement. Even though they failed short-
term the legacy of the Chartists are considered to be a significant influence on the creation of
other political movements such as the Reform League which helped pressure the government to
the Second Reform Act of 1867. The legislation that legally expanded the franchise is The Great
Reform Act of 1832 and The Second Reform Act of 1867. The Great Reform Act extended the
right to vote to an additional 300,000 people yet only 5.6% of the population could vote meaning
only 20% of adult men. This emphasizes just how poor the poor were and how rich the rich were
during the time of the Whig government of Lord Grey. The Second Reform Act of 1867 was
passed by the conservative government of Benjamin Disraeli and was much bigger in scope
compared to past reforms. It doubled the size of the electorate. Nevertheless, it was only one-
third of all men who could vote. While it did retain a difference in the franchise between the
boroughs and counties, women could not vote yet and many men could still not vote.
The next way the franchise expanded was gender. Even though one-third of men had the right
to vote women still did not have the right to vote by 1897. In order to make changes and expand
the franchise the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society more likely known as the
Suffragists was formed. They were formed from the merging of several suffrage groups. Leader
Milicent Fawcett described the movement as ‘like a glacier, slow-moving but unstoppable.’ They
focused on peaceful and constitutional methods for example meetings, leaflets, marches and
lobbying politicians. However, after six years the movement was not reaching closer to their
goal of expanding the franchise for women. Led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters,
Sylvia and Christabel, the Women’s Social and Political Union was formed in 1903 alongside
franchise has been extended since 1832
One of the ways the franchise has been expanded since 1832 is social class. In 1800 the
working class or even the lower middle- class could not vote due to the requirements. The
requirements were only men over twenty-one who owned property in which there were property
qualifications could vote. If they did not meet the property qualifications there would be certain
taxes to qualify to vote. However, it has been since expanded. Part of the reason the franchise
expanded social class is the Chartists who are an early example of a pressure group for major
political reform. The Chartists wanted to have Britain transformed into a full democracy and they
wanted to give the poor a voice. This proved to be difficult as Parliament feared giving the
working class the right to vote because they thought it could jeopardize their power in politics as
well as economically such as the trading empire. The government also believed that working-
class men were too poorly educated in politics to use their vote wisely. The Chartists demanded
six points but only three relevant to expanding the franchise. They wanted all men to have the
vote irrespective of wealth or property ownership, voting should take place by secret ballot and
get rid of property qualifications, which now have all been implemented. Their main tactic was
the compilation and submission to parliament of three monster petitions in 1839, 1942 and 1848
that contained up to six million signatures, though many were dubious of authenticity.
Unfortunately, the 1848 petition failed collapsing the movement. Even though they failed short-
term the legacy of the Chartists are considered to be a significant influence on the creation of
other political movements such as the Reform League which helped pressure the government to
the Second Reform Act of 1867. The legislation that legally expanded the franchise is The Great
Reform Act of 1832 and The Second Reform Act of 1867. The Great Reform Act extended the
right to vote to an additional 300,000 people yet only 5.6% of the population could vote meaning
only 20% of adult men. This emphasizes just how poor the poor were and how rich the rich were
during the time of the Whig government of Lord Grey. The Second Reform Act of 1867 was
passed by the conservative government of Benjamin Disraeli and was much bigger in scope
compared to past reforms. It doubled the size of the electorate. Nevertheless, it was only one-
third of all men who could vote. While it did retain a difference in the franchise between the
boroughs and counties, women could not vote yet and many men could still not vote.
The next way the franchise expanded was gender. Even though one-third of men had the right
to vote women still did not have the right to vote by 1897. In order to make changes and expand
the franchise the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society more likely known as the
Suffragists was formed. They were formed from the merging of several suffrage groups. Leader
Milicent Fawcett described the movement as ‘like a glacier, slow-moving but unstoppable.’ They
focused on peaceful and constitutional methods for example meetings, leaflets, marches and
lobbying politicians. However, after six years the movement was not reaching closer to their
goal of expanding the franchise for women. Led by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters,
Sylvia and Christabel, the Women’s Social and Political Union was formed in 1903 alongside
