Britain in the eighteenth century was notorious for heavy restrictions surrounding who had the right to vote, as well as the bribery and corruption of its elections. But it was also a period when a modern democracy was emerging, campaigned for in the Houses of Parliament and in the streets. Even if very few people could vote, elections were opportunities for a large part of the public to participate in politics, at public meetings and entertainments, in print and song, and through dress and decoration. Men, women and children all took part as consumers, but also as makers of these unique cultural and political experiences.
Elections were vital moments for renewing and maintaining relationships between politicians and their constituents. Communities were brought together and divided by elections, revolving around personalities and local issues. The later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were also a time when campaigns for parliamentary reform were gaining traction. Eventually, responding to growing pressure, the government passed a Reform Act into law in 1832, which substantially amended the voting system. Rotten boroughs were abolished, and new industrial towns were granted their own MPs. The franchise was expanded, allowing more middle-class men to vote.
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