BRITIAN AT MID-CENTURY

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BRITIAN AT MID-CENTURY

• BELL WORK 3
• If someone works they may be tired from a job and
  found it hard to pay attention in class

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GLOBAL EXPANSION

• Why did Britain, a small island kingdom on the
  edge of Europe, rise to global prominence in the
  1700s?
• Geography- Englands location made it well placed
  to control trade during the Renaissance.
• They planted outposts in the West Indies, North
  America, and India. From these tiny settlements,
  England would eventually build a global empire.
• Success in War- In the 1700s, Britain was
  generally on the winning side in European
  conflicts. Each victory brought valuable rewards.
• By the Treaty of Utrecht, France gave Britain
  Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in North America
• The Slave trade brought enormous wealth to
  British merchants, who invested their profits in
  other ventures.

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UNION WITH SCOTLAND

• At home, England grew y merging with neighboring
  Scotland. In 1707, the Act of Union united the
  two countries in the United Kingdom of Great
  Britain. The union brought economic advantages to
  both lands. It allowed trade to pass freely
  between England and Scotland, creating a larger
  market for farmers and manufacturers.
• Eventually, they made it more acceptable. The
  United Kingdom also included Wale
• England had controlled Ireland since the 1100s.

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GROWTH OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

• Political parties, the cabinet, and the office of
  prime minister. The appearance of these
  institutions was part of the evolution of
  Englands constitutional government that is a
  government whose power is defined and limited by
  law.

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Political Parties

• Two political parties emerged in England in the
  late 1600s, Tories and Whigs. The conservative
  Tories were generally landed aristocrats who
  sought to preserve older traditions.
• Whigs backed more liberal policies. They were
  more likely to reflect urban business interests,
  support religious toleration for Protestants, and
  favor Parliament over the crown. For much of the
  1700s, the Whigs dominated Parliament. These
  early political parties were unlike the party
  organizations that we know today. They
  represented cliques among the rich, powerful men
  who served as members of parliament.
• The modern political party, representing groups
  of voters and with a distinct platform, did not
  appear until the 1800s.

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The Cabinet System

• The cabinet was another new feature of
  government. In 1714, the British throne passed by
  hereditary right to a German Protestant prince.
  George I spoke no English and relied on the
  leaders in Parliament to help him rule.
• They were called the cabinet because they met in
  a small room or cabinet.
• It was made up of leaders of the majority party
  in the House of Commons. It remained in power so
  long as it enjoyed the support of the Commons. If
  the commons voted against a cabinet decision, the
  cabinet resigned.

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• The Prime Minister
• Heading the cabinet was the Prime Minister. He
  was the leader of the majority party in
  Parliament and in time the chief official of the
  British government.
• Robert Walpole a Whig leader molded the cabinet
  into a unified body, requiring all members to
  agree on major issues.
• Walpole is often called Britains first prime
  minister.

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George III Reasserts Royal Power

• In 1760, George III embarked on a 60-year reign.
  Unlike his father and grandfather, the new king
  was born in England. He spoke English and loved
  Britain. But George was eager to recover the
  powers the crown had lost.
• He then set out to reassert royal power. He
  wanted to end Whig domination, choose his own
  ministers, dissolve the cabinet system, and make
  the House of Commons follow his will.

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Personal Rule

• Gradually, George found seats in Parliament for
  the kings friends. Then, with their help, he
  set out to regain control of the government.
• North America must pay the costs of their won
  defense. When colonists protested, Parliament
  passed harsh measures to force them to obey. In
  1775, these and other conflicts triggered the
  American Revolution and disaster for Britain.
• Cabinet Rule Restored- Britains loss of its
  American colonies discredited the king.
  Increasingly. In the crisis of leadership that
  followed, cabinet rule was restored in 1788.