Modern England 1820-1885

This short survey opens with the accession of that portly spendthrift, King George IV. With British support, Greece becomes independent. The Irish, under O'Connell, carry agitation to the point of rebellion, forcing Parliament to pass the Catholic Emancipation Act. After a painful labor of over a year, the First Reform Bill is enacted in 1832. Queen Victoria comes to the throne in 1837. Faced with an Irish famine, Sir Robert Peel, repeals the Corn Laws. There is a Great Exhibition, a war in the Crimea, and a rebellion in India. Gladstone and Disraeli battle on the floor of the House of Commons, while British imperialism advances in South Africa and in Egypt. - Summary by Pamela Nagami