The Second Reform Act, passed in 1867, created a million new voters, doubling the electorate and propelling the British state into the age of mass politics. This study provides the first analysis of the subject from the demise of Chartism to the passage of the Act.

Defining the Victorian Nation offers a fresh perspective on one of the most significant pieces of legislation in nineteenth-century Britain. Hall, McClelland and Rendall demonstrate that the Second Reform Act was marked by controversy about the extension of the vote, new concepts of masculinity and the masculine voter, the beginnings of the women's suffrage movement, and a parallel debate about the meanings and forms of national belonging. Fascinating illustrations illuminate the argument, and a detailed chronology, biographical notes and a selected bibliography offer further support to the student reader.

The 1832 Reform Act was a watershed in the history of modern Britain, profoundly affecting the composition of parliament and the course of all subsequent legislation. This new edition of The Great Reform Act of 1832 extends and updates Eric J. Evans's classic account of the crucial political and economic issues and: * highlights the travails of Toryism at the end of the 1820s * clarifies complex questions of policy * shows the connections between the Reform Act of 1832 and subsequent radical activity and reform legislation * presents revised electoral statistics. An accessible and stimulating guide to the student of modern political history, students of history and political history will find this invaluable to their studies.

Parliamentary Reform 1785–1928 surveys the dynamically changing role of the British Parliament from the pre-reformed Parliament through: the 1832 Great Reform Act Chartism the campaign for working class suffrage Catholic emancipation the long struggle for the granting of female suffrage. Beginning with a wide survey of the origins and nature of Parliament, the author offers a detailed context for the campaigns for its reformation of in the nineteenth century and the attitude of Victorians towards it. This comprehensive approach promotes understanding of the wider issues of parliamentary reform and provides an essential aid and context to students studying this topic.

An argument advocating universal suffrage with plurality of voting based on education; proposing representation in government of minorities; and condemning the secret ballot.