Britain, c1783–1885 – Government and a changing society, 1812–1832:…

The idea

Following Liverpool’s stroke in 1827, the Tory party fractured under the brief, unstable ministries of Canning and Goderich, before Wellington assumed power in 1828. Wellington’s premiership was defined by reluctant concessions. The 1828 repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts removed theoretical barriers to Dissenters holding public office. Concurrently, Daniel O’Connell’s victory in the County Clare election forced the issue of Catholic Emancipation. Fearing civil war in Ireland, Wellington and Peel passed the 1829 Catholic Relief Act, fracturing the Tory party. Domestically, Peel introduced the 1829 Metropolitan Police Act, creating London's first professional police force to maintain public order without relying on the military, reflecting a shift in state governance.

What earns the marks

• Analyse the political instability and Tory party factionalism under the short-lived ministries of Canning and Goderich.
• Evaluate the significance of the 1828 repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts as a precursor to broader constitutional reform.
• Assess the role of Daniel O'Connell and the Catholic Association in forcing Wellington's government to grant Catholic Emancipation in 1829.
• Explain the establishment of the Metropolitan Police in 1829 as a modernised approach to law enforcement and public order by Robert Peel.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Stating that Wellington enthusiastically supported Catholic Emancipation.

  Put it right: He and Peel passed it reluctantly to avert an Irish civil war.

• Assuming the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts radically changed politics.

  Put it right: It largely formalised the existing practice of passing annual Indemnity Acts for Dissenters.

• Confusing the roles of Canning and Goderich.

  Put it right: Canning was a liberal Tory whose appointment split the party, while Goderich was a weak compromise leader who resigned without facing Parliament.

Exam tips

• Focus on how the passage of Catholic Emancipation shattered Tory party unity and paved the way for the Whigs and the Great Reform Act.
• Contrast the traditional military response to public disorder (like Peterloo) with the preventative strategy embodied by the new Metropolitan Police.
• Use O'Connell's County Clare election victory as a prime example of how extra-parliamentary pressure could successfully force constitutional change.