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Tories control House of Commons and House of Lords
Lots of information about The Reform ActThe Tories were a group of people who did not want to let more people vote. With a new prime minister in 1830 (Earl Grey) there was an opposing force to the Tories. Grey planned to get rid of boroughs (communities with governing power in England that were not actually part of England). He planned to replace their seats in the houses with seats for the quickly growing towns such as Manchester and Birmingham. There are no exact dates for this time period. -
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Reign of William IV
William IV was king for almost 7 years. This was a very short reign compared to other kings of England. -
Whigs control more of House of Commons
Earl Grey asked the king at that time, William IV, to change parliament so that more Whigs (people against Charles II religion) would be in the House of Commons, allowing them control. He succeeded. This allowed him to pass The Reform Act in this house. -
House of Commons pass the reform bill
Before the reform act, there were many separate areas in England that governed themselves. Many people thought it unfair that they got a say in Parliament. This act made it so that all 203 of these "boroughs" lost all or some of their parliament members. -
Earl Grey resigns, and is hired again
Earl Grey resigned, when the king said no to his proposal. The proposal asked for more Wigg peers in the House of Lords, so that The Reform Bill could be passed. The Duke of Wellington, a Torie, was asked to be the new prime minister. He tried to form a cabinet, but the other Tories refused. William IV then asked Earl Grey to return, and in doing so lost almost all of his popularity. -
The Great Reform Act is passed in The House of Lords
Once Earl Grey was requested to be reassigned as Prime Minister, King William IV was getting a little bit desperate. So he chose to accept Grey’s proposal, and put more Wiggs in the House of Lords than Tories. This finally allowed The Great Reform Act to pass in both houses, making it law. This was what it took for Grey to except. -
Houses of Parliament burn down in huge fire
Self-explanatory. -
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House of Lords rebuilt
The House of Lords was rebuilt faster than the House of Commons, because the Lords were a higher class. The dates are approximate. -
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House of Commons Rebuilt
The House of Commons took four years longer to rebuild than the House of Lords, because it was thought of as less important, since the common people were of a lower class than the lords. The dates are inexact. -
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Victorian Engalnd
Victorian England was the name of the time period when Queen Victoria ruled over Great Britain. She had a longer reign than most, which lasted over 60 years. -
The first photograph is taken
In the early summer of 1838, the first photograph was taken by two men. These were Louis Dafuerre (France), and William Henry Fox-Talbo (British). The exact date is unknown. -
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First Opium War
The Opium War was between Great Britain, China, and the Qing Dynasty. After winning, Britain was given Hong Kong. The dates are inexact. -
New Zealand becomes British Colony
Great Britain wanted to stay ahead of the French in amount of land, so they claimed New Zealand as their own colony. -
Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert
Self-explanatory. -
First postage stamp put on sale.
Penny Post had the idea of postage, and created the first stamp. Her stamps were available for purchase on May 1, 1840. They were first used 5 days later, on May 6, 1840. -
Bristol to London Great Western Railway Completed
The Great Western Railway Company was the first to make a railroad from Bristol to London and back. The one way trip was 4 hours long. Today, you can make the same trip in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. -
John Francis attempts to assissinate Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was riding one day but she did not know that John Francis was stalking her while holding a pistol. John Francis was successful in aiming a pistol at the queen, but the gun did not fire. Unfortunately, he escaped. The next day Queen Victoria rode the same route, trying to provoke Francis to shoot again. He tried to, but before he could fire, plain clothes policeman grabbed him. He was convicted of high treason, and given a death sentence. -
The Mines Act
The Mines Act kept boys under ten years old and all women out of the mines. This was passed, because of the horrible conditions found in an inspection ordered by Queen Victoria. -
A Christmas Carol is published
When Charles Dickens published his famous classic A Christmas Carol it sold out within six days. This amazing story really shed a light on the situation that the poorest people in London lived in.
