What was the context of politics in the mid-19th century?

Britain – Politics, 1846-65

In this course, Professor Jeremy Black (University of Exeter) discusses politics from 1846 to 1865. In the first module, we look at the context of politics in the mid-19th century. Then, we look at why religion was such an important issue for the Russell Government. After this, we look at why there was opposition to Russell’s reforms and why politics was unstable. Following this, we look at the effect of the condition of England and the Crimean War. In the penultimate module, we look at the challenges for Britain during Palmerston’s governments. Finally, we look at why the transformations of the time meant politics had to change.

What was the context of politics in the mid-19th century?

In this module, we look at the context of politics in the mid-19th century. In particular, we focus on the key questions: (i) What are the key contexts to consider in mid-19th century British politics?; (ii) How did the absence of certain crises shape political flexibility and strategy?; (iii) What was the impact of Chartism and potential violence on political stability?; (iv) How did political leaders handle the potential for instability?; and (v) What was the role of political leadership in navigating these challenges?