| |
Home
> 18th Century London
> Political Landscape >
Monarchy & Parliament
Monarchy & Parliament
In the 18th century, Britain was ruled
by a parochial politics that were enforced by the Parliament
and a monarchy. As London grew in strength and importance,
the monarchy was slowly stripped of power out of a general
populace fear of a tyrannical ruler. Monarchs had many
but limited powers; their decisions were monitored and
approved by Parliament and the Privy Council (Cabinet),
which included the Prime Minister and secretaries of
state. These advisors to the crown were supposed to
assist in representing the needs of the people.
This image depicts the House
of Commons - the lower house of the Parliament - in
1851. It was built and developed in the 14th century
and was destroyed during World War II.
The Parliament was revered as the most powerful legislative
body in 18th century Europe; however, by modern standards,
it was both unrepresentative and unprofessional. The
citizens of London attempted to support the Parliament,
but knew of its many faults. Representation in Parliament
was not only limited, but haphazard – population
distribution shifted dramatically over the course of
the century due to London’s development, yet no
efforts were made to redistribute the seats according
to these changes. In addition, the Parliament was influenced
by the needs and desires of the rich upper classes that
used power and finances to impact local and national
politics. In stark contrast, the lower classes were
forced to get their message across using more pedestrian
methods, such as riots, public disorder, processions,
and petitions to Parliament. These political problems
further exacerbated an already existing concern among
differing social classes.
|
|
