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Catholic Emancipation Act is passed by Parliament
In 1829, partly in response to widespread agitation throughout Ireland led by Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Association and the possibility of revolution in Ireland, the Catholic Emacipation Act, enabling Catholics to sit in the British Parliament at Westminster, was passed (symbolically, for many, on a Friday 13th!) -
Great Reform Act (1st reform Act) is passed by British Parliament
Between 1770 and 1830, the Tories were the dominant force in the House of Commons. The Tories were strongly opposed to increasing the number of people who could vote. However, in November, 1830, Earl Grey, a Whig, became Prime Minister. Grey explained to William IV that he wanted to introduce proposals that would get rid of some of the rotten boroughs. Grey also planned to give Britain's fast growing industrial towns such as Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds, representation in the House -
Slavery is banned in all British colonies
The Slavery Abolition Act was an 1833 Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire -
Queen Victoria ascends to the throne
Queen Victoria, the great-great grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne of England in 1837. The longest-reigning monarch in British history, she was born on May 24, 1819, and died on Jan. 22, 1901. -
Irish Potato Famine begins
The Great Famine was a period of starvation, disease and mass emigration between 1845 and 1852 during which the population of Ireland was reduced by 20 to 25 percent. Approximately one million of the population died and a million more emigrated from Ireland's shores. The proximate cause of famine was a potato disease commonly known as late blight. -
Second Reform Act is passed by British Parliament
The 1832 Reform Act proved that change was possible. The parliamentary elite felt that they had met the need for change but among the working classes there were demands for more. The growth and influence of the Chartist Movement from 1838 onwards was an indication that more parliamentary reform was desired. -
British Parliament ends all public hangings
The Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868 received Royal Assent on 29 May 1868, putting an end to public executions in the British Parliment. -
Use of Secret Ballot in Great Britain passes
In 1872 a Ballot Act was passed that introduced the right for voters to vote in secret during an election away from prying eyes. -
Queen Victoria dies
Queen Victoria was only 18 when she came to the throne and she had a lot to learn. Her reign had a rocky start. She thought that, as queen, she could do as she liked, and she quickly had to learn that she couldn't. Queen Victoria's reign spanned sixty four years, from 1837 - 1901. -
All women 30 and older gain the right to vote in Great Britain
The 1918 Representation of the People Act was the start of female suffrage in Great Britain. The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons (385 for to 55 against) – an element of support that surprised the Suffragettes and other suffragist movements. The 1918 Representation of the People Act gave women of property over the age of 30 the right to vote – not all women, therefore, could vote – but it was a major start.
