Chapter One: Prelude to Revolution
To Mark the 150th Anniversary of the British Republic in 1998, the BBC embarked on a landmark project to charter the first thirty of the Republic that had such an impact on all our lives. Dominic Sandbrook, the Head Historian and Lead Writer of "From the Ashes of the Old" commented that this was the "most important study of documents and testimonies from one of the most important events in history" - here is the Republics story;
In 1800, it was recorded that for the first time, 7 million persons in England could read and write. The Parliamentary Econocracy, in which a variety of economic elites provided the core of a proto-democracy, was relatively unchanged, despite challenges from Radicals of the day, such as Charles James Fox, who demanded a "Radical Reform" of the electoral system. The Government, usually headed from the Old Lords, would place victors in some constituencies, in order to engross their support in the Commons. Sir Robert Neale said "[During the Reign of the First Elizabeth] It was not sufficient for candidates to belong to the more substantial families...They usually had to show some initiative and will." It was now regarded that the Unreformed Constitutional Monarchy was poisoned by laziness and monopoly.
The House of Commons, meeting at Westminster Palace, discussing the outbreak of war with Austria and France
Despite this, the advent of newspaper as a mass medium had a significant impact of peoples freedoms and ability to think politically. Reducing the tax stamp on newspapers from four pence to one penny in 1806, before being abolished entirely in 1812. This was because of an unrepentant regime of forced closures of untaxed newspapers become too much of a burden with a war being fought on the Continent. This led to newspapers being emancipated, with some issues, like the London Worker's Courier, printing up to five editions a day (morning, midday, evening and up to two extra editions). A lack of efficient censorship led to harrowing stories of the War of the Fifth Coalition leaking to a bewildered and scared public. Criticisms of the Government of Spencer Perceval were aired freely and the Government, fearing any reprisal of a economically ruined British People, could do very little. Campaigns such as compensation for angered incarcerated citizens and greater green spaces now had a national stage, and won wide support. By 1814 there were over 200 newspapers, employing 1,200 men in England - their views ranged from broadly patriotic, like the The Times, the newspaper of record, to extremely revolutionary like the Worker's Courier in London or the Manchester Represent.
From 1806, the Continental System imposed by Napoleon had caused massive damage to the British Economy and caused a decline of around 47% in export trade. Britain's status as a carrier state was under threat, and British businessmen, who according to Napoleon, formed the basis of the 'Nation of Shopkeepers' were most at risk with rising prices and diminishing quality of goods. After defeating the Napoleonic Empire at the Wars of the Sixth Coalition, Britain finally allowed the embargo to end in 1814, but not without the near fatal collapse of British trade with Europe. Now with Economic forces picking up, the Congress of Vienna allowed the Government of Perceval to control both Regency (who had now taken over the King's responsibilities) and the people, who had started to show revolutionary intent. At the time of the 1812 Election, called by Perceval, the Prime Minister managed to pass the Regency Bill, in which the power of the Regency, who was said to be Whig and Reform leaning, was curbed. Perceval remained in power in which an uneasy coalition of Foxite Liberals and Peelites were excluded. He took advantage of the situation with the King to secure further his own power. He decided to take on the revolutionaries within his own country, growing from the newspapers and barons of the media that had grown in a short space of time. It was to have disastrous consequences for the United Kingdom…
To Mark the 150th Anniversary of the British Republic in 1998, the BBC embarked on a landmark project to charter the first thirty of the Republic that had such an impact on all our lives. Dominic Sandbrook, the Head Historian and Lead Writer of "From the Ashes of the Old" commented that this was the "most important study of documents and testimonies from one of the most important events in history" - here is the Republics story;
In 1800, it was recorded that for the first time, 7 million persons in England could read and write. The Parliamentary Econocracy, in which a variety of economic elites provided the core of a proto-democracy, was relatively unchanged, despite challenges from Radicals of the day, such as Charles James Fox, who demanded a "Radical Reform" of the electoral system. The Government, usually headed from the Old Lords, would place victors in some constituencies, in order to engross their support in the Commons. Sir Robert Neale said "[During the Reign of the First Elizabeth] It was not sufficient for candidates to belong to the more substantial families...They usually had to show some initiative and will." It was now regarded that the Unreformed Constitutional Monarchy was poisoned by laziness and monopoly.
The House of Commons, meeting at Westminster Palace, discussing the outbreak of war with Austria and France
Despite this, the advent of newspaper as a mass medium had a significant impact of peoples freedoms and ability to think politically. Reducing the tax stamp on newspapers from four pence to one penny in 1806, before being abolished entirely in 1812. This was because of an unrepentant regime of forced closures of untaxed newspapers become too much of a burden with a war being fought on the Continent. This led to newspapers being emancipated, with some issues, like the London Worker's Courier, printing up to five editions a day (morning, midday, evening and up to two extra editions). A lack of efficient censorship led to harrowing stories of the War of the Fifth Coalition leaking to a bewildered and scared public. Criticisms of the Government of Spencer Perceval were aired freely and the Government, fearing any reprisal of a economically ruined British People, could do very little. Campaigns such as compensation for angered incarcerated citizens and greater green spaces now had a national stage, and won wide support. By 1814 there were over 200 newspapers, employing 1,200 men in England - their views ranged from broadly patriotic, like the The Times, the newspaper of record, to extremely revolutionary like the Worker's Courier in London or the Manchester Represent.
From 1806, the Continental System imposed by Napoleon had caused massive damage to the British Economy and caused a decline of around 47% in export trade. Britain's status as a carrier state was under threat, and British businessmen, who according to Napoleon, formed the basis of the 'Nation of Shopkeepers' were most at risk with rising prices and diminishing quality of goods. After defeating the Napoleonic Empire at the Wars of the Sixth Coalition, Britain finally allowed the embargo to end in 1814, but not without the near fatal collapse of British trade with Europe. Now with Economic forces picking up, the Congress of Vienna allowed the Government of Perceval to control both Regency (who had now taken over the King's responsibilities) and the people, who had started to show revolutionary intent. At the time of the 1812 Election, called by Perceval, the Prime Minister managed to pass the Regency Bill, in which the power of the Regency, who was said to be Whig and Reform leaning, was curbed. Perceval remained in power in which an uneasy coalition of Foxite Liberals and Peelites were excluded. He took advantage of the situation with the King to secure further his own power. He decided to take on the revolutionaries within his own country, growing from the newspapers and barons of the media that had grown in a short space of time. It was to have disastrous consequences for the United Kingdom…
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