To What Extent Did The Government Show Excessive Concern to essays

To What Extent Did The Government Show Excessive Concern to essays Between 1815 and 1820 Britain was suffering from out brakes of public disturbances and general unrest. The party in power was the Tories and the prime minister was Lord Liverpool. Many bills and laws were past during this time which dealt with law and order issues. This was a reaction to the perceived threat of revolution in Britain. But did the government overreact to the situation? British society in 1815 was under radical change. The industrial revolution had meant that urbanisation was taking place. Badly designed and polluted cities were populated by millions of poor factory workers that lived in crowded and squalid conditions. Many writers and poets of the time recognised the harsh lives that the working class had to live in. Many writings of the time comment on the civil unrest and the affect that the rapid growth of industry was having on the working class. The unhappiness felt by the working class manifested itself into many well-known examples of the disillusionment felt towards the government. The Radical party was seen as the voice of the people for this period of unrest. Famous leaders such as Major John Cartwright created debating clubs all over Britain to give the working class a voice. Henry Hunt gained a reputation as a good public speaker and began to attract huge crowds. The Radical press was begun with magazines such as Black Dwarf and newspapers like the Political Register. Movements like Luddism and events like the Spa Fields Riots caused great concern in the government. Lord Liverpool was expected by his party to protect their interests. As most of the Tory party and most of its followers were aristocrats, Lord Liverpool came under immense pressure to be seen to be taking firm action against the disillusioned citizens of Britain. Lord Liverpool had appointed lord Sidmouth as home secretary, a fact that undoubtedly influenced the reaction of the government to the disturbances. Lord Sidmouth wanted harsh ...