Join Simon as you explore the turbulent political climate of mid-19th century Britain, from the first Reform Acts of the 1830s to the rise of popular protest movements like Chartism.
This course will expire on 4th March.
Cost: £3.99 | Free for paid subscribers & members
Date: Wednesday, 4 February 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
1 sessions • Recorded course
Here's the full schedule for this course:
Each session is available on catch up for at least 7 days
Course type: recorded
Level: Beginner
Host: Dr Simon Gregor
In the early 1830s, Parliament passed the first of what would become a series of Reform Acts, aimed at staving off growing popular discontent by widening the franchise (ie who could vote), reforming some of the more obviously “corrupt” constituencies and trying to build a more modern representative democracy. But it did not go far enough for everyone, and led to the rise of a number of protest movements, most notably perhaps the Chartists. In this talk, Simon will explore the heady political climate of the mid-1800s, what the politicians did (and did not!) do, and how Chartism flourished as a response to the perceived shortcomings of the early reforms.
Hi, I’m Simon, my love for literature and history began with the Tudors. I studied English at Cambridge and earned a PhD in History. I teach in person and online, and have led tours across the UK and Europe to the places I teach about.
