This unit focuses on the incredible story of the changing relationship between government and the people in England (and later Britain).

At the time of the Norman Conquest (1066), the kings and queens ruled as absolute monarchs with very few limits on their power.
Today, the British monarch's powers are only ceremonial - they have very little ability to influence decisions made by government. Instead, political power is exercised by the Prime Minister and by Parliament, who gain their power from democratic elections.

So why did things change? Change was gradual and sometimes chaotic with the earliest attempts to restrict the power of kings and queens (such as Magna Carta) ending in failure.

The Rise of Parliament

Parliament started to emerge in the 1260s and by the Early Modern period (1500s) it was meeting regularly. However, its role was insecure. It took the Civil War (1642-1649) and then the Glorious Revolution (1688) to guarantee Parliament's power. Up to this point, kings and queens had often ruled without it. From 1689, England was a Constitutional Monarchy, which meant that the monarch's powers were limited by a set of binding rules - and they had to share power with Parliament.

The very slow spread of democracy

Although Parliament started to become more important, it was only elected by a small number of wealthy men. This started to change in the 1800s:

1832 - the 'Great' Reform Act - gave votes to middle class men.
1867 & 1884 Reform Acts - gave votes for the first time to some working class men. By 1884, about 2/3 of adult men could vote.
1918 - all adult men and some women gained the vote.
1928 - all adult men and adult women could vote.

As democracy expanded, Parliament became more important and the powers of the monarch reduced:

1721 Robert Walpole became the first Prime Minister and carried out many duties on behalf of King George I.
1834 was the last time that a monarch chose the Prime Minister and key ministers. Since then, the PM has had to be supported by a majority in Parliament.
During the early 1900s, the elected House of Commons has become more important than the unelected House of Lords.

Why did Britain become a democracy?

Some historians argue that Britain became a democracy through the courageous and determined protest of groups such as the Chartists and the Suffragists and Suffragettes who argued tirelessly, and risked their lives to persuade those in power to allow them the vote. Others suggest that power was shared by politicians voluntarily in order to increase their own support at the expense of their political opponents.

This unit is a study of the nature of power: what gives people power? why are some more powerful than others? It is also an examination of protest - what makes some protests fail and other succeed?

Year 8 Power & Protest

What is Power & Protest?